


The Barrow

by Hermaline75



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Anal Sex, Enemies to Lovers, Fae & Fairies, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:47:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 50
Words: 48,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28383456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hermaline75/pseuds/Hermaline75
Summary: Loki, Prince of the Barrow, has it all. Palace, riches, magic, the perfect peaceful existence.If only humans would stop buying his land, it would be marvellous really.Meanwhile, Thor is going to prove that the farm on the edge of town isn't cursed actually and that the barrow contains nothing more than some old bones.
Relationships: Loki/Thor
Comments: 774
Kudos: 397





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TorMist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TorMist/gifts).



> Inspired by TorMist's comment about fairies being effectively localised gods of mischief.
> 
> Will I ever stop writing vaguely historical AUs set in the countryside? Probably not, let's be real.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The land was astonishingly cheap. That should really have been Thor's first clue that his plan wasn't exactly going to go smoothly. It was an irregularly shaped field with a modest and tumbledown cottage at one end and an old round-barrow burial mound at the other. It wasn't the best farming prospect in the world, but then again, he wasn't the best farmer.

In truth, he wasn't any kind of farmer.

All the same, as he inspected his purchase, walking the boundaries, he could already imagine it. He'd grow flax primarily, and little rows of beans, and perhaps cabbages. He'd have hedges around the perimeter for birds and little creatures to live in, and chickens in the yard...

But he'd leave the barrow alone. It was a graveyard, more or less. Some ancient warrior or king lay beneath it, someone important to have been given such a monument. He had no interest in disturbing it.

The house though... Mm. Well, it seemed structurally sound enough, but it needed some work all the same. A bit of whitewash, some fresh paint, airing out the rugs and furniture and a good clean... And he'd have to have a look at the thatch too, make sure it would keep the rain out.

But it was a surprisingly good size, especially for his budget, and it came with furniture. Already, he was looking at the fine wingback chair by the fire and imagining sitting in it after his work was done, cosy and comfortable, a cup of tea or maybe a glass of something stronger.

He was opening the windows and trying to decide where to start when he heard a voice outside.

"Excuse me. Can I help you?"

Dusting off his hands, Thor tried to make a good impression.

A woman stood at the gate, looking at him a little anxiously, dark hair pulled back in a simple bun, a neat lace shawl around her shoulders and carrying a large bag. It looked rather heavy.

"Hello," Thor said. "Thor Odinson. I've just bought the place. Are you my new neighbour?"

"One of them," she said, still eyeing him cautiously. "Sif Felwyr. I live with my brother in the local post office. Are you meaning to say you've bought this land? You've bought Yowtonhame?"

"Yes. My bags should arrive later today but I came down early to get a feel for the place."

"You didn't view it first?"

"No, I was afraid someone else would snap up somewhere so reasonably priced. It was a real bargain."

"Indeed," she said, adjusting her bag a little. "I expect that's because of the curse. It's haunted."

Thor felt his eyebrows rise, a laugh in his throat before he could stop it.

"A curse? Really? I'm new around here but there's no need to tease me. I'll make enough of a fool of myself without help, don't worry."

"I'm afraid I'm deadly serious. No one has lived in that cottage longer than a year. And the man who built it lost his wits entirely. They really shouldn't have sold it to you."

What kind of place had he moved to? Believing in curses and ghosts... Still, he didn't want to offend, forcing a serious expression.

"Well, who knows?" he said. "Perhaps I'll manage to exorcise the place."

"Good luck," she said. "I'm afraid I must finish my rounds but do let us know if you need any assistance. Good morning."

"And to you."

She continued on her way, Thor examining the rusted gate, adding it to his list of things to clean up and fix, shaking his head. A curse? Hauntings? Really? What nonsense.

Might as well believe in fairies...

***

Loki was _bored..._

His mother would be holding court around now with his uncle, chief advisor, by her side. Perhaps he could go and cause some trouble, find out all the latest gossip from the courtiers and plaintiffs. Ah, but would it be worth it to face the lecturing afterwards?

"Unbecoming for a prince, more responsibility, bla-bla-bla..."

He could try to find a conquest for the afternoon and night and probably enjoy himself thoroughly, but at the same time, he felt like he'd already seduced half the kingdom. And besides, he couldn't shake the thought that maybe they only slept with him because he was the crown prince and not because of his own charms. It took the fun out of it somewhat.

Maybe he ought to clear out his wardrobe, get rid of a few things... But then again, why bother? He could simply extend his dressing room when necessary.

A knock on his door was a very welcome distraction, even if there was only a snivelling messenger outside the door, wringing their hands.

"My prince, so sorry to disturb, but, er, well..."

"Spit it out."

"We heard some unusual sounds on the edge of the kingdom. There is a human, your highness. It seems to be moving into the dwelling they built up there by the barrow."

Loki's eyes widened. Again?! But he'd been chasing them off his territory for decades now. After some years of peace, he thought they'd finally given up for good and left it well alone.

Still, this was a bit of excitement. An opportunity for fun. He could make this human rue the day they ever thought to come here.

"Show me," he said.

They took him up to the human world - as if he didn't already know the way - making themselves very small, pointing out this newcomer through the tall grass. They were washing windows, cleaning off years of grime. Gold hair. Fairly well formed as humans went.

"Inform my mother," Loki said. "But tell her I will handle it."

"What if... What if they destroy the barrow, my prince? With their terrible tools? They have such cruel iron blades and hooks."

"I will deal with it. Have faith. They'll be gone before the snow falls. They'll wish they never heard of Jotunheim."

A fleeting distraction, perhaps, but Loki couldn't deny the excitement in his chest. After all, it wasn't every day you got to play with humans.


	2. Chapter 2

Right. Thor had cleaned most of the windows and unpacked just enough for his first night in his new home. Blankets. Sleep clothes. He washed one of the mugs from the dusty shelves and cleaned out the old kettle, just what he needed to make a little black tea. In the morning, he'd make an excursion into the town and get some milk and other supplies. The pie he had brought with him was keeping him going but come the morning he'd be very ready for some proper, hot food. Porridge maybe. Or eggs.

He'd build a pen as soon as possible, a little coop, and get a couple of layers of his own.

Layers? Was that the right word for things that laid eggs? Maybe.

The cottage creaked as he got into bed, the floorboards flexing beneath his feet. Old walls getting used to having someone in them again. It was to be expected.

All the same, as Thor blew out his candle and snuggled beneath his blankets, he couldn't deny feeling a slight shiver. Was it true, what they said about the man who had built this house? Or part of it, anyway? What had happened to him really?

Was he sleeping in a dead man's bed?

Turning firmly over, he tried not to think about such nonsense. There was no such thing as ghosts and goblins. Just things expanding and contracting as the temperature changed. Not so much as a howl of wind down the chimney in the silent summer night. Peaceful. Quiet. Exactly what he wanted.

Maybe too quiet actually, or too quiet for him after years of living in the city.

He woke up some time in the dead of night, some noise waking him. He peered around the room, confused in the darkness.

Was that a figure?

He sat up, blinking, trying to stare into the shadows, scrabbling for a match only to be more or less blinded as it flared into life.

A dusty old coat hanging on the back of the door, nothing more. He hadn't noted it before and then in the moonlight it must have looked...

Waste of a match, really.

Despite the interruption, he got a fairly good night's sleep, getting up bright and early, dressing and heading out.

It was a nice town from what he could tell. He was right on the very edge of it, pleasingly private, the rows of houses giving way to farmsteads with detached cottages. They were all beautifully kept too, brightly painted, rows of laundry already out drying, chickens and geese and goats, the occasional pig.

Right. Post office. He had met Miss Sif and surely she would be able to furnish him with the location of the general store, the haberdashers, the iron mongers...

A little bell rang as he entered the building, finding a counter with brass fittings lovingly polished to a shine and a man stood behind it.

Hm. Well, he certainly didn't look like Miss Sif for all she had mentioned a brother.

"Good morning. How can I help you?"

"Hello. Thor Odinson. Just moved into the farm on the edge of town."

"Ah, yes, Sif was saying that someone had taken Yowtonhame. How was your first night?"

"Fine. No problems at all. I'm keen to get started on the works it needs."

The man was called Heimdall, he learned, though his relationship to the post mistress remained a mystery. Thor felt it would be rude to ask outright. However, he got all the information he needed and set out to explore, finally making his way home around midday with food enough to last him at least a week, proper strong detergent to tackle the curtains and other soft furnishings, brushes and rags, and he'd ordered some whitewash and some proper paint to be delivered.

He'd soon have the house in order. And then he could start on the outside, clearing the scrub grass that had grown in his field, thinking about what seeds to try first. Maybe he could even try for trees...

And he should make people aware that he was available for odd jobs. Helping with harvests, fetching and carrying. Deliveries maybe. Just enough to scrape out a living. His savings wouldn't last forever, after all.

It was sweltering in the kitchen trying to heat water to wash all the fabrics, stripping off his shirt. It was warm enough outside, and he wouldn't risk bleaching it by mistake. And it wasn't like any of the neighbours were likely to see him.

The previous occupants really had been very obliging with what they had left behind. There was a wash tub, big enough for him to pour kettle after kettle of hot water into, and a washboard and posset. It was mainly dust and old spider's webs in the curtains, turning the lace grey, and it was deeply satisfying to see them come up so much brighter with comparatively little effort.

He didn't have a mangle or pegs, but surely it wouldn't take long for them to dry in this heat.

Slightly damp from where he'd splashed himself, Thor flopped them over a rope tied between the house and the boundary fence, a perfectly fine makeshift washing line. Beating the rugs next and sweeping the floors.

Hm... Or maybe beating dust out when he had clean laundry hanging up wasn't the smartest of ideas.

He was pondering which task might be sensible when he caught sight of a figure at the end of his field, silhouetted against the afternoon sun. Tall, he thought, trying to squint at them. Tall and slender, wearing a long coat.

"Hello?" he called.

A sudden gust of wind billowed his curtains in front of his face and the figure had vanished when he could see again.

Odd. Very odd. They'd been standing by the barrow. Maybe they'd ducked down behind it.

"It's alright," Thor said. "I don't mind a little trespass between neighbours."

He strode up to try to meet them but found no one. And there was no gate at this end, no way out other than vaulting the hedges. He was surrounded by other fields, just rows of grain stretching off, undisturbed. No one could run off that quickly, especially without leaving footprints in the dusty earth.

A trick of the light then. Had to be. There was no other explanation for a shadowy man to be standing over a barrow full of old bones and disappearing into the ether.

And the breeze that had whipped up was chilling his damp skin suddenly. That was why he had a faint shiver at the back of his neck.

And absolutely no other reason.


	3. Chapter 3

This new human... There was something about him that Loki couldn't put his finger on. For one thing, he was alone. Usually they had a family or at least a spouse with them. But not this one. All by himself.

Then again, he'd only just arrived. Maybe more would arrive once the house was more habitable.

Loki was still scouting him out. He'd got into the cottage through a mouse hole and then grown to his usual size to explore more fully. There wasn't much he could make mischief with yet, and besides, he felt he needed to know his enemy first.

So far, the man seemed dreadfully boring. Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. But he was also not entirely unattractive. Loki had watched his progress with the linens with particular interest, especially the drips of water running down his arms and chest...

Mm. Enticing, for a human. Or maybe he'd just tired of his previous lovers so much that any newcomer seemed automatically more attractive than they might.

Besides, humans were... Well... Well, they were humans, weren't they?

Anyway, now he'd been summoned to his mother's private office to report.

She was sitting at her desk watching the kingdom in her mirror, the way natural magic flowed around it like the blood of some great beast, his uncle beside her making notes.

They had similar faces and colourings, but beyond that, they had taken very different appearances from his grandparents. Loki's mother was like him, tall and slender, all angles. His uncle was broader, more curved generally, a barrel chest and a square jaw.

But they both looked at him with the same expression when he came in. A sort of grim resignation.

"So," his mother said, like somehow this was all his fault. "Someone has bought the field."

"My field, yes. I'll get rid of him, don't worry."

"The boundary is your domain for now, but I will not hesitate to remove that responsibility from you if required. Just one man, they're saying?"

"Yes, Mother."

"No infants?" his uncle asked.

"None that I have seen. Should any arrive, I shall inform you immediately."

"Hm. Shame. I've always found abducting a child to be the quickest method to be rid of a human infestation."

"Yes, but then you are landed with a human child which to my mind is a considerable downside."

"Don't mock the old ways, Loki," his mother said. "It's unbecoming. Can we trust you to do this? The barrow's destruction would be disastrous."

Loki managed to resist the urge to roll his eyes. He wasn't a child anymore! He'd got rid of would-be inhabitants before.

Honestly, he took his eye off the field once and allowed a human to build a dwelling on it and now they didn't trust him...

"I will not allow anything like that to happen. Leave this to me, Mother. I will get it done, with violence if necessary. We'll soon be left alone once more."

He meant it. He would chase this man out. He'd haunt him, torment him and make him hate that he'd ever heard the word Jotunheim, let alone try to purchase this land and live on it.

The next few days were similarly spent in reconnaissance. More cleaning. The man rehung the curtains, beat his carpets, swept the floors, stripped the old paint and rust from the gate and began cleaning the peeling whitewash from the stone walls. And it all looked... very nice. If you liked that kind of thing.

He learned from overhearing a conversation that the man's name was Thor Odinson. No other details were forthcoming, but he hadn't yet mentioned a wife or children. Perhaps he really was alone.

And even Loki had to admit, as he strode about the freshly cleaned kitchen shelves, small as a field shrew, that Thor had done a good job making the cottage homely. He'd moved things around, put the large chair near to the fire - not that it was needed in the summer heat - and spent his evenings working on little projects. He was quite good with his hands.

Some kind of flat rope knot, he was making. Perhaps a doormat or a decoration. Either way, once he had gone to bed, it didn't take Loki long to unravel it before retiring for the night.

This was a test really. How concerned would Thor be by things moving in his sleep? Maybe this could all be quick and painless.

He came back bright and early and chased away a spider to secure the best watching space, peeking out of a crack in the wall. He watched Thor come downstairs, pause, approach the rope, pick it up with some degree of concern. Yes...?

No. He spent the rest of the day trying to block mouse holes. Surely he couldn't believe that was the work of mice? It didn't look anything like nibbles...

It became a routine. Thor would start on his work and leave it in increasingly high places - the chair, the table, the mantlepiece - and every night, Loki would carefully undo all his efforts. He'd get the message, surely.

Apparently not. The day he returned from town with a scythe, Loki elected to stop being quite so coy.

This was war.


	4. Chapter 4

Despite his best efforts, Thor was beginning to feel a little uneasy in his new home. He had the oddest sensation that he was being watched. Not all the time, but definitely a lot of it.

And then there was the rope... All he wanted was a sweet little door mat in the form of a flat knot, like his mother had taught him to make years ago. She called them lover's knots, though he wasn't sure that was the right name. But somehow they kept unravelling.

At first he thought a mouse must be getting to it, biting the ties loose and trying to steal fibres for its nest, but now he thought he must be making a mistake with it. Some weakness or problem with how he was tying it, getting the loops wrong maybe so that they didn't lock together properly. Because the only other explanation was that someone was sneaking into his house in the dead of night through locked doors without waking him and undoing his work and that... Well, why? Why would they do that? To try to convince him that the house was cursed?

Maybe there was gold hidden under the floorboards or something. A reason they didn't want outsiders here.

Today, he'd clear the field. Get a good look at what he was working with.

His scythe had arrived; an investment really. He was a reasonably strong man. He could learn to cut grass and straw, help with harvests to earn a few extra pennies. How hard could it be?

It turned out that it was quite difficult. He swung it around, getting some cutting done, but quite often he felt he was just knocking the grass flat. What was he doing wrong? Maybe trying to cut too much at once?

He persevered and managed to clear part of the field, raking up the cuttings. Was this good enough to be dried? Maybe he could use it to bed down his future chickens.

Making a neat pile, he turned back to his field, only for a pebble to hit him square in the forehead. At least, he assumed it was a pebble. It certainly hurt, a little blood coming off on his fingers. What in the world...? Had someone thrown it at him? He couldn't see anybody. How had that happened?

Could a passing bird have dropped it? Maybe... He'd never heard of such a thing happening, but there was no other way, surely.

He took up his scythe again, trying to find the good angle once more, turning his body just so...

Something prevented him from moving. Like someone else was holding the handle and resisting him, making him yank the whole thing back, stumbling over, lucky not to cut himself.

But there was nothing there. No one.

This was becoming very strange indeed.

He still didn't believe in curses though. Perhaps there was something... else about this farm. He'd read long ago about kinds of mould that made people strange and forgetful. Maybe the grass was infected with it. Or the house; something in the walls, needing to be aired out. And maybe the ancient civilisation who had built the barrow had put lodestones within it that were magnetising his scythe blade and throwing him off-balance.

Yes, that made sense. A combination of natural, explicable reasons that tricked the senses and made the less rational person believe in all sorts of ridiculous things. Once the house was properly clean and the grass cleared, these phenomena would surely stop.

All the same, he took his rope work up to bed with him when he was finished for the night, tucking it beneath his pillow.

It would be a determined mouse indeed that managed to attack it now...

Sure enough, he woke up to find it perfectly intact. Excellent. One less thing to worry about.

And the rest of the cottage was all as it should be too. Nothing out of place, nothing... unusual. He hummed to himself as he made tea and boiled a couple of eggs, slicing some bread. If he prepared his lunch now, he could finish the field and then eat in the sunshine amongst his handiwork.

He was looking forward to it until he stepped outside and looked at the grass. His neat pile was still in place, the proof of his efforts, but...

But it had all grown back.

Thor strode into the middle of it, touching what was undeniably new growth, green and tender stems. But how? This was impossible. No fertiliser in the world was this strong, surely?

No. There had to be a better explanation. And he would figure it out. Eventually. Somehow.

He took up the scythe and set to work. Sooner or later, he would best this land, conquer it with human skill and strength. Alright, so maybe he was a city boy, generations away from any ancestral farmers - all of whom were probably looking down on him and despairing right now - but he would figure this out. Here, in this new place where no one knew him. A new life.

And some stubborn weeds weren't going to stop him.


	5. Chapter 5

"But I'm exhausted," Loki moaned. "I'm far too tired. I regrew a field last night."

"Half a field," his mother said, standing with folded arms and gazing down at him, reclined on a chaise. "And that should be well within your powers. It's no excuse for missing promenade when you are not ill."

"I hate promenade..."

"Oh, you hate getting to show off your latest outfit and learn all the kingdom's intrigue and have all eyes on you? Somehow I find that hard to believe. Anyway, how goes your battle against the human? Do you require assistance if it's so draining? I'm sure your uncle would be happy to come to your aid."

Loki peeked out from beneath the chilled cloth he was wearing over his face.

"I don't need help," he said. "The man is stubborn and determined, but I will handle him. Already, I'm sure he is spooked. He'll be gone soon."

"I certainly hope so. And should you need any kind of advice..."

"I will ask for it. Thank you. Please don't make me come to promenade. I'll only make mistakes."

"Very well. But be sure to make it up next time."

She left him to his recovery, eating tiny amounts of delicious food because he simply couldn't face anything hearty just yet, napping and properly recovering, ready to continue his campaign after dinner.

He made his way unseen through the capital city to the boundary between worlds, certain that he'd find their little human problem packing his bags and running away.

Well, Thor had absolutely massacred the grass... He'd clearly rushed it. Gone were the careful experiments of the day before in favour of a hack job.

Loki fumed. Miraculous overnight regrowth wasn't enough to scare him? These modern humans... They were ridiculous. No self-preservation instinct whatsoever. This could have been the work of a demon, a real nightmare.

Keeping himself invisible, even though it was something of a strain, Loki approached the house. He was going to get revenge for this one. Some kind of revenge. Proper revenge. Maybe he'd smash all the dishes. Pour out all the milk. Steal all the pans.

The kitchen was lit gently orange by the setting sun and Thor was...

Taking a bath. Sitting in his tub, rubbing at his arms with a sponge, the water running over his skin.

Well. This was at least interesting, to a point.

Shrinking himself down, Loki managed to find an entrance that Thor had not yet found and blocked, leaping and hauling himself up the curtains and onto the windowsill, settling down to watch.

There was something strangely compelling about humans when you observed them up close. They looked almost like fae, a little uglier perhaps, and most had no magic to speak of beyond the simplest herb work. But there was a tenacity to them. Maybe it was the short lifespans, some drive to seek their desires in their limited time, be that family or home or wealth or success.

And as he watched Thor bathe, biting his lip slightly as he balanced his leg on the side of the tub to scrub it, Loki thought about the old stories of fairies having romantic affairs with humans.

Well... Maybe romance wasn't quite at the forefront of his mind.

He could understand it. Fae inheritance law was rather complex and sometimes it was simply easier for an enterprising would-be mother to find a convenient human to father a child to whom to leave her fortune. And he knew some had enjoyed seducing humans for sport too.

Suddenly he was starting to understand that compulsion.

This angle wasn't giving him a view of everything he might like to see, almost as though Thor had not chosen his bathing position to suit an unseen watcher.

Maybe if he could get to the shelves...

Loki began climbing up the curtain again, starting to shuffle his way across, making slow but steady progress, aware suddenly that the faint splashing sounds had stopped.

And then there was a loud sound of water being displaced, like a large man standing up out of a tub and Loki craned to see over his own shoulder.

Thor was crossing the floor, frowning, reaching for the curtain. Had he noticed the movement? Invisibility was one thing, but he couldn't disguise the effect he had on the world around him without much, much stronger magics.

He clung on as Thor lifted the fabric, looking for a mouse possibly, holding his breath, holding on...

Until Thor shook it vigorously and even Loki's grip on the lace gave way, scrabbling as he fell, hitting the floor with a grunt and a faint dizziness.

He gazed upwards, seeing damp legs and then dark gold body hair around a pink cock that he really wouldn't mind examining more closely, a thick torso, tight little nipples and then a wide-eyed expression of fear.

Ah, yes. His concentration had been shaken somewhat. His spell was broken. He could be seen.

Loki hurriedly turned himself invisible once more, rolling away as Thor jumped backwards, breathing hard.

And then he crouched, feeling around where Loki had just been, his hand coming worryingly close. And he was muttering to himself, something about "impossible" and "trick of the light".

Scurrying off along the skirting board, Loki's heart hammered in his ears. That had been dangerous. Being seen by humans in usual size was one thing, you could pass as one of them, but this was the kind of thing that got you killed. He wouldn't be the first to be crushed or drowned. Or, worse, caught by a cat.

As he hurried out of the house, taking deep breaths, Loki knew he needed a new plan.

Seduction or abduction. One or the other.

Or maybe both?

He'd have to make a decision very soon.


	6. Chapter 6

Thor was shaken. Deeply, deeply shaken. His rational mind was under severe assault.

Because he had seen it. No matter how he tried to deny it, a voice in the back of his mind knew that he had seen a tiny, perfectly formed man. A very handsome... elf? Brownie? Goblin maybe?

But then again, he couldn't have, because they did not exist.

His brain was playing tricks on him. It had to be. Making him imagine eight-inch tall little people who vanished as soon as he noticed them when that was simply impossible.

There had to be something in this house poisoning him. Maybe it was the water butt. Maybe it had some kind of toxic algae and bathing in it had made him see things. Or maybe he'd eaten something off and that was causing it.

All the same, when he woke after a fitful night's sleep, some long disregarded childhood stories had drifted up into his memory. Tales his grandparents used to tell him. Fairies that could be dangerous and should be treated carefully. You had to leave milk out for them on the solstice.

But that was nonsense, wasn't it? Stories told to children to stop them going off with strangers or down dark paths or getting too near to the river bank. His grandmother would just drink the milk when he wasn't looking and tell him that the fairies had been. It wasn't real.

There were no tooth fairies either. And no such things as changlings. Sometimes children had illness or differences and they had absolutely nothing to do with being stolen away or bewitched.

Still...

Iron. You used iron against such creatures. Running water, maybe? Or was that witches?

Might be vampires, come to think of it...

It wouldn't hurt to gather a few items that just happened to be made of iron, would it? Horse shoes. Maybe a poker or something.

He locked the door a little more firmly than was possibly necessary, his suspicion seeming all the more ridiculous in the bright light of day. The fresh air would do him more good than anything else, really. Just being out, around good solid things like roads and buildings.

He saw Miss Sif on her rounds, waving but in no mood to talk. He felt certain his worries must be written all over his ridiculous face. And after he'd been so dismissive of her concerns, he could hardly admit to what he thought he'd seen.

He bought some fire tools - a poker, a small wire brush and a dust pan - which he would make use of anyway and so were necessary, long-term purchases. They were definitely iron too, cast metal, sturdy. He changed his mind about horseshoes though; for one thing, he didn't even have a horse and while such items were meant to be lucky, he really should sort everything else out and start earning before thinking of decorations.

At least nothing had changed when he got back. The grass was still cut. The door was still locked. Everything seemed to be intact.

He cleaned out all his grates, including the ones he had not yet used himself, tossing out the ashes, boiling any water he used extra carefully, but really just marking time until the sun began to set. That was when he'd seen the little man yesterday. It might be when he returned.

Except he wouldn't, of course, because he didn't exist.

Fetching a saucer, Thor poured out the cream from the top of the milk and settled down to wait, poker in hand. Just for self-defence.

Every sound seemed suspicious. Every creak. Even though he was trying his best to be calm and rational, to maintain that there was no little man because there was no such thing, he was very tense.

"If you're here," he found himself saying. "I mean you no harm."

Nothing. Of course there was nothing. This was ridiculous. He'd just had a little scare, a slight trick of the mind, and now he was talking to imps...

He huffed, getting out of his chair, running his hands down his face. Just over tired. Too much fresh air. Or not enough fresh air He wasn't used to this life yet and he was imagining things. Just had to grow accustomed to it, that was all.

And then something grabbed him by the shoulders from behind, a mass of fabric being held over his face that made him so, so tired suddenly...

The poker lay on his chair, unused.


	7. Chapter 7

Loki had spent the day in a panic. He'd barely slept, his stomach full of fear. He'd been seen. And any logical human would surely realise that the barrow was infested with fae and tear it down and then even if he survived that somehow, his mother would kill him...

He had to act. And no one could know. Or at least not yet, not until he'd succeeded.

The plan was blunt but hopefully effective. He would enchant Thor, bring him below ground where he couldn't cause anyone any harm, hide him for... however long it took to either convince him to leave or maybe...

Well, part of him was dreaming of seducing him and keeping him as some kind of companion for a while, but that might not be possible. Maybe he didn't like men. Maybe he didn't like anyone. And besides, capture first, then work that out. One thing at a time.

Right. He needed somewhere to conceal rather a large man, somewhere he would be comfortable and somewhere his mother and uncle would never, ever, ever go. Which room, then? They visited his bedroom fairly often to wake him up for lectures on the importance of court...

The wash room. They never went in there. And it would be convenient to have Thor by the tub for bathing and such.

Moving one of his bigger chaises into the room was the easiest part. But privacy would also be necessary if he was to befriend - and hopefully maybe more than befriend - his new human.

He hung some sheets from the ceiling as curtains, creating a little room, almost like a four-poster bed. And with some muffling spells, not too much sound would get in or out.

Right. Right. And now he needed to work some fairly complex magic.

Sleeping spells were common enough, but working them on other people was very difficult, especially on someone uncooperative. He would never do this if it weren't an emergency, grinding up lavender, camomile, mallow root and infusing them with moonlight and lullabies, slathering the whole mixture onto fabric. And he'd struggle to carry a man without help so he needed some lightening charms...

It took almost all day just to prepare, Loki barely eating though his anticipation meant he felt nauseous anyway, finally rushing out just as night was falling.

The cottage was quiet. Almost too quiet.

Loki peeked in the window, finding Thor staring at a saucer of... milk, maybe?

Oh, no. Had he got a cat? Already? There was no scent of one but maybe...

"If you're here," Thor said. "I mean you no harm."

Loki barely breathed, shrinking himself down to venture inside, watching Thor stand up, rubbing at his face.

Right. Now, now. It had to be now.

Growing to his full height as he moved, Loki grabbed at Thor's shoulders, shoving his enchanted materials into his face. This was either going to work and he could progress from there or he was going to be caught and probably beaten and killed.

Thor stumbled, mumbling protests, his knees going weak and obliging Loki to catch him and ease him to the floor.

Right. That was the first part. Now to get him home.

With some difficulty, he worked the spells he needed, walking three times moonwise around Thor's body, tricking the universe into forgetting how heavy he was, lifting him onto his shoulder.

And now it was a simple case of carrying a large man back to his rooms without being seen...

Oh, he was ridiculous. This was ridiculous...

How he managed it, Loki had no idea. Luck, perhaps. He tried for some invisibility but he was already so, so tired that he barely managed translucency, but it must have been enough to make the eye slide off them as he rushed through the streets and the palace corridors.

Panting slightly, he deposited Thor on the chaise, but he couldn't let his magics go just yet. He had to restrain him first.

Only once Thor's wrists were neatly bound to the chaise legs with long silver chains did he feel safe to stop concentrating, like putting down a huge weight, sitting on the floor for a moment to recover.

Thor simply slept. Natural sleep now. He seemed comfortable. Loki watched him for a little while before remembering that if he was really going to get away with this, he ought to show his face in court for the final part of promenade. Couldn't have been kidnapping humans if he was in court, after all.

He changed and practised a natural smile in the mirror a few times before rushing off to the great hall.

It was an important ritual. The palace and the kingdom did not simply sustain themselves. It required magic from all who lived there to nourish the land.

To an untrained eye - and there were plenty of those around, even among naturally magical creatures - it looked a lot like simple walking, but it was much more complex than that. There was warp and weft, weaving and binding. Everyone had a part to play from the highest member of court to the most modest citizen.

Different levels of participation, of course. Some people went years without having to attend whereas he and other members of court were supposed to go more or less every day at least for part of it.

His mother always had to be there for the end, gathering the threads, pulling them taut and lacing them into the fabric of the kingdom.

Loki knew he was tired, barely able to smile and flirt as he usually did, walking against the majority flow and nodding to his uncle as they traded places, weaving in and out.

He did step out to pay his mother proper homage though, bowing low.

"How is your little project going?" she asked, her eyes moving all the time, tracing the magic. Distracted. Good.

"It's all in hand, Mother."

"Excellent. Well done."

Rather more in hand than she knew. Or ever needed to know at this stage.


	8. Chapter 8

Thor didn't remember going to sleep, but he was very, very comfortable. Everything was so soft. Had the bed always been like this?

When he moved, there was a faint ringing sound. Like tiny bells. Or... Or like the sound his mother's pin box made when you shook it. That was... odd...

He opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. It was like a castle or a cave perhaps, rounded and somehow glowing with a pale white light. It was not the sun but it was far too bright to be the moon surely...

And then it came rushing back. The grabbing. The cloth that made him so tired. And now he was in a strange place and he was... loosely tied down on some kind of couch.

The chains holding him were so fine and delicate, looked so easy to break, and yet his experimental yanks did nothing.

Someone had come and taken him. Who? What enemy did he have? Someone from the town? Or from his past in the city? But then how had they found him when he'd gone so far away? And why would they take him like this instead of just talking to him?

And why was he on a couch surrounded by curtains? None of this made any sense.

He was sitting up and trying to pull himself free to no avail when he heard a door open and close, quiet footsteps coming closer, going tense as a pale hand slipped between the fabric, followed by a familiar face.

"Little man!" he said without thinking.

Not so little now. Usual human height. Quite tall even.

Oh... This was a dream, wasn't it? Just a very strange and vivid dream.

"I beg your pardon?" the man said in a smooth, low voice.

This was his captor. Dream or not, time to be more cautious.

"Who are you?" Thor asked.

"I am Prince Loki of the Barrow, heir to the fae throne, master of all I survey. And you are Thor Odinson, human."

Despite clinging to the idea that none of this was real, Thor was completely baffled. What was he talking about? Fairies? And the barrow... Like the old burial mound?

"What do you want with me?" he asked.

"Um..." Loki said. "Well, that really depends. Primarily, I want you to leave Jotunheim alone."

"Jotun what?"

"It's the name of this place. The boundary between our worlds is my responsibility and I own the land around it. I would like you to leave."

Maybe it was the disorientation that made Thor bridle somewhat, potentially unwisely. This was just his worries about farming given form.

"It's my land," he said. "It's called Yowtonhame and I own it. I paid for it and I will not be evicted by... whoever you are. Especially not in a dream."

The formerly little man tilted his head to the side, seeming amused more than anything.

"You really have no idea what you're dealing with, do you?" he said.

"I don't need to know. It's my land. I will farm it and live on it and I'll thank you to release me immediately so we can discuss this properly. Oddly enough, being chained up makes me nervous."

"Why? What do you think will happen?"

"I've no idea. Nothing good."

"Huh. I've had a lot fun when either I or a friend were chained up."

Well, hang on, was this an attempt to force him off the field or was it an attempt to... do something else? What on earth was his unconscious mind doing suddenly bringing sex into this?

Well... This prince was not unattractive. His brain had certainly provided a very enticing figure to impose upon him. Maybe this anxiety dream could be turned into something more enjoyable, if he played things right. But what were the rules here? Dream rules, dream logic...

"Well, Prince Whatever, how about you let me go and we'll say no more about it?"

"You seem to think you are in control here. I'm rather confused. I have you chained up in my washroom and you seem to think you have some kind of advantage. Are all humans like you? I've not actually spoken to one before."

Thor closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"I'm dreaming this," he said out loud. "It's just a dream. Just a strange, strange dream. And when I wake up, I will be safely in my own bed with none of this happening."

He opened his eyes. The Loki person was still standing there, looking at him curiously. A little frown, pursed lips. Like he was confused.

"Let me check if I have this right," Thor said. "You want me to leave my land..."

"My land."

"No, _my_ land. I have the deed to it, I think you'll find."

"Human nonsense. We don't recognise such things."

"You can't be fae. They don't exist. You're just a figment of my imagination. You're probably just my subconscious worrying about farming and... feeling lonely. You're just in my head."

Loki looked at him for a moment and then prodded him hard in the chest.

"Ow!"

"Did that feel imaginary?" 

Thor glowered at him. It hadn't, but who was to say what tricks the mind could play? Visions and voices so why not touch too?

"What's the plan?" he asked. "You're going to keep me here until I promise to leave or what?"

"I thought we could come to an understanding of some kind."

"Such as?"

A shrug, a shake of the head.

"A little fun together maybe just to sweeten the deal and then you promise to leave _without_ selling the land. That is crucial. It's mine. It's not for humans to buy and sell as they see fit."

"Almost all my savings are in that land. I couldn't go without selling it, even if I wanted to. I can't afford it."

"Well, then I suppose I'll keep you here until you agree. Even if it takes years. I can wait."

Was he bluffing? Thor wasn't sure. None of this seemed particularly well planned out, but then again, dreams didn't, did they? All the land and kingdom stuff was tangled up with the raw, almost desperate sexual desires of a young man. He wanted Thor gone but he also wanted him in his bed.

Perhaps he could use that to his advantage...

"How old are you?" he asked.

"A little over two hundred. Why?"

Thor tried to shrug, acting like he wasn't phased, a little less impactful with his hands behind his back.

"Just wondering whether I should bother letting you try to charm me. I prefer my partners to know what they're doing when it comes to matters of the flesh, even if they are imaginary."

He watched as Loki flushed a gratifying shade of pink, clearly insulted.

"I'll have you know I've had more lovers than... than you have, certainly."

"How many?"

"Hundreds!"

Thor tutted, shaking his head.

"And how many have ever been back for more? Being a slut isn't enough to impress me, I'm afraid."

Clearly furious, Loki stalked up and down, putting Thor in mind of a caged tiger. Like he was the one restrained.

"I always satisfy," he said. "I would make you see stars."

"Oh, really? Well, why don't you show me? Maybe that will wake me up."

For a moment, he thought he'd won, but Loki seemed to catch himself, hesitating, maybe wondering if this was some sort of trap.

"Why would I want to touch a dirty human?" he asked, not terribly convincingly.

"You did a few seconds ago. You seemed to have little else on your mind. You must have seen something you liked."

"Nothing special..."

"Suit yourself, then. I'm sure I'm not missing anything either."

Loki scoffed, his cheeks still not back to their previous shade.

"I'd have you begging for more in moments," he said.

"Interesting. I expect it would actually be the other way round. I bet you'd mewl for it like a cat in heat."

"I'd get you so addicted to me you'd forget to eat."

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

"I'd like to see you try."

Somewhere along the line, Thor had almost forgotten his plan, whatever the plan was. Escape? Waking up? Somewhere along the way, he'd started just wanting to try fucking the smile off Loki's face.

This was his dream - or hallucination or whatever - and he might as well have some fun. And besides, he was looking Loki up and down, his long legs, his chest, and wanting...

Was that a little bulge in his trousers?

Thor looked at it and then up to Loki's face, the blush deepening once more.

"Shall we do something about that?" he asked.


	9. Chapter 9

Loki was out of control, he knew it. Thor was goading him, trying to trick him maybe, but despite it all, he wanted so badly...

No one ever spoke to him like this. No one would dare. He was a prince, after all. They wouldn't challenge him or insult him or call him a... a slut.

And some strange, very strange part of him liked it. Liked being treated that way and yet also wanted Thor to eat his words.

He was aroused. They both were. But he still had to be cautious and keep his advantage.

With a wave of one hand, he tightened the chains, forcing Thor to lie back on the chaise, grunting lightly. Loki approached, gazing down at him, and then began methodically removing his clothes. Shoes and socks first and then unbuttoning his shirt, getting a good look at that chest. He ran his hands over it, thumbing Thor's nipples, knowing he was trying to hold back the urge to react. The slightly faster breathing gave him away.

He ran his fingers down through the valley between his muscles, combing through the trail of hair, finding his trousers unmistakably tented, pulling them off along with his small clothes.

Oh, yes... What he'd liked the look of while soft was almost irresistible hard, decently sized for his preferences, thick and heavy. Loki bit his lip, running a hand up the length, enjoying the warmth.

"Think you can handle it?" Thor said, his voice a degree rougher than it had been.

"Do you really think you're as endowed as all that?" Loki scoffed, or tried to.

His every desire was to feel that cock inside him as quickly as possible, ripping off his own clothes and straddling Thor's body, reaching back...

"Well, hang on a second," Thor said.

"What?" Loki spat, so impatient.

"I know this is a dream but don't you need to... prepare first? Stretch a little?"

"No. I've already done it."

He was very practised at such spells, had been for years, immediately open and slick and ready, no wasting time. Thor still seemed worried until Loki lined up and lowered himself down in one smooth motion.

Oh, it was incredible. He was filled just enough, just to make it a stretch but not painful at all, his body yielding, feeling every inch, deeper than most... Mmm...

"You're that much of a slut that you've already been spread wide?" Thor said, though his breath was sharp and fast.

"It's... Ooh, it's a simple enough spell when you want to get to it quickly."

"So desperate to be fucked, little prince? Oh..."

"Mm-hm?"

"God, you feel good..."

Loki was out to impress, setting a punishing rhythm, rocking his hips forwards and grinding down. He'd promised to make him see stars and he was going to. All the same, he couldn't deny that Thor felt wonderful. Without even trying, he was hitting all the most delicious spots and Loki was moaning despite himself, especially when Thor planted his feet on the chaise and began thrusting up into him, that extra strength shaking his body.

"Give me... Ah, give me more slack..."

Probably unwise, but Loki did it, the chains lengthening like thin silver snakes and Thor's hands flew to his waist, gripping hard in a way that no one else ever dared, moving him roughly in a way that had him crying out, pulling him down, down, down, over and over, grinning when he found just the right spot to make him keen...

"Don't stop," Loki said. "Oh, don't stop..."

No words from Thor, just moans and growls, his thrusts growing erratic as he got closer to climax but harder too, Loki wrapping a hand around his cock and stroking desperately, wanting to spill first...

He got his wish, staining Thor's skin and then yelping as Thor kept going, using his over-sensitive body to finish, moaning as he spilled deep inside him.

And it was over. And now the pressing reality of having a human chained up in his washroom once again took prominence in Loki's mind.

They panted at one another for a moment, Thor's cock softening but still held within Loki's body until he awkwardly moved to let it slip out.

"Well," he said, clearing his throat. "That was... Yes."

"What?"

"Very pleasant, thank you."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

He stood up, gathering his clothes, feeling rather embarrassed now at how wanton he'd been, tightening the chains again. And Thor lay there, covered in spend, grinning at him. So certain he'd won when he clearly hadn't.

"Next time, I'll make you finish on my cock alone," he said. "I bet you can."

"What next time? Who said anything about a next time?"

Thor simply smiled at him. So cocky!

And Loki knew he shouldn't have so much as thought the word cock because now he kind of wanted it again...

"I'm in charge here," Loki said. "And don't you forget it. You are my prisoner. I decide what's happening. Get off my land!"

He stalked off before that smile could irritate him any further.


	10. Chapter 10

Thor lay in a sweaty and slightly uncomfortable heap, but feeling very proud of himself. He'd scored quite a few points there, he thought.

All the same, Loki was incredible. The strength, the athleticism, the tightness, the heat... He had to be a dream because no one was that perfect. No one was so responsive and eager, so keen to be treated just on the nice side of rough.

Thor longed for more already, though he'd rather be tortured than admit it. He also wanted to be out of these chains so he could use his body properly. Finding out if those long legs were as flexible as he suspected for one thing.

And he meant it about making him spill without a touch to his cock. It was possible, he knew that, though he thought it required a degree of persistence. He desperately wanted to have a chance to be persistent...

To his surprise, he didn't wake up back in his own bed. This was a very confusing and long dream. The chains loosened enough that he could get up after a while, venturing through the curtains and finding a steaming bath. He was meant to clean himself up, it seemed. It wasn't exactly a hardship to slip into the sweet smelling water and get washed, a towel left to the side for his use.

He hung it up out of habit before the chains tugged him back to the chaise.

Food arrived, floating in apparently of its own accord. Thor swished his hand through the air in case Loki was simply invisible, but touched nothing.

He ate. He walked around as much as he could. He slept.

And nothing. Days went by, or at least he assumed they did. He tried to keep count of the meals, but struggled. He slept when he was tired but the faint glow of the room never changed. He had no concept of night or day.

Sometimes the chains tightened, binding him securely to the chaise. He assumed Loki was utilising the washroom during these times, but he couldn't hear anything and his annoyed calls went unheeded.

God, he was bored. If the plan was to simply defeat him via tedium, it might very well succeed.

What must the townspeople be thinking? If this was real - which it wasn't, he had to remember that, he had to stay sane despite it all - he would simply have vanished. A poker on the chair, a saucer of milk on the table, his coat still on the hook by the door.

Would they think he had gone mad and run off into the wilderness?

Was this what had happened to the man who built the cottage?

He had questions he wanted answers to, but Loki didn't show his face for a while. Several days, maybe. Thor wasn't sure. He just knew that he felt hugely relieved to see a hand pass through the curtains at last.

"Are you willing to concede yet?" Loki asked immediately. "Will you give up the land?"

"Have you done this to all the men who have lived here?" Thor asked back. "Did you take them all hostage?"

"No. I've never done this before."

"Aw. I'm special."

A stormy face.

"Especially stupid," Loki said. "The others were smart enough to know that when things move around and break and go missing or regrow overnight that someone doesn't want you there. They were able to read the signs and take the hints."

"I will not be bullied out of my home."

"And I will not have mine stolen from me."

Thor tried to flail but couldn't, the chains tightening around his wrists.

"I don't even want the barrow! I'm not going to touch it!"

Loki looked at him in some confusion, like he thought this might be some kind of trick.

"You're not going to destroy it?"

"No. Why would I?"

"You're human. It's what you do. Always cutting things down and tearing things up."

"But we also build things. Humans built the barrow in the first place."

"Don't be ridiculous!"

Thor had opened his mouth to retort when there was a faint tapping sound, Loki turning away, a brief conversation that he couldn't hear.

Loki popped his head back through the curtains.

"I'll be back soon."

Thor tried to get comfortable, pondering. Was this all some kind of misunderstanding? He really hadn't ever wanted to touch the barrow. It was a burial mound. Someone's body was there, resting in peace. He would be uncomfortable disturbing it.

And now he knew intelligent creatures lived beneath it...

Except they didn't because this was just a strange dream and nothing more.

Maybe he'd fallen and hit his head and soon he'd wake up all bandaged and know that this was all just his brain doing strange things.

Strange and frankly really rather boring things. Had his mind run out of sexual fantasies? Surely not. He had boundless imagination for such things.

Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could nudge things back in that direction...

Irritatingly, no amount of scowling at the curtains seemed to summon Loki back.


	11. Chapter 11

Loki's mother wanted him, apparently. Inconvenient timing, but that couldn't be helped.

Was the barrow truly safe? If he could properly convince himself that Thor really meant it no harm, then maybe he could just let him go. That would be easiest. Just take him back to the surface and let him live out the rest of his days on the land.

But now Loki had wronged him... He'd taken him prisoner. Was his word true? Could he be trusted now? What if he sought revenge and tore the barrow down out of spite?

He'd have to trust him and Loki really wasn't sure if he could do that.

His mother didn't look as well as she normally did. She was somehow in disarray. Her hair was out of its normal careful twists as though she'd been woken in the middle of the night, her face pale and almost thin. She had taken the magic mirror down from its usual place to lay it flat and was gazing down at it on her table, tiny points of light dancing across it. Paying great attention to one particular area and without his uncle's usual advice.

"Something is wrong," she said as soon as he came in.

"What do you mean?"

She wasn't even looking at him, reaching out to take his hand, pulling him closer.

"Look..."

Ugh, he hated doing this. One day, he'd have to, of course, once it became his duty, but it still made him somehow itchy. That feeling of holding the whole kingdom in his head, of hearing the strange cacophonous noises of tens of thousands of people living their lives, feeling the heights of euphoria and the depths of despair all at once... It wasn't exactly pleasant.

But he could feel what she meant as she drew him into it. Among the swirling, there was... an irritation. Like a pebble in a shoe or something stuck in one's teeth.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. It feels... wrong. Something is here that doesn't fit. I'm worried."

A wave of guilt rolled through Loki's stomach. Was it Thor? Was it the presence of a human in their midst? He wouldn't be the first over the centuries, but perhaps there was some kind of spell or safety measure you were supposed to put in place first.

He tried to peer closer, tried to get a look at the anomoly, but it was difficult. It was like he couldn't quite focus on it. But it was there. Like an itch that couldn't quite be scratched.

The sensible thing would be to admit what he'd done. He ought to tell the truth and ask for help and undo whatever this was.

But the self-preservation route would be to undo everything quickly and quietly and pretend it was just a strange thing that had happened, one of life's mysteries, something odd but resolved.

"I'll look into it," Loki said. "I'll ask around."

"Don't tell your uncle. It may be nothing of consequence and I hate to worry him."

"I won't. Anyway, it's about time that I started taking more responsibility."

Of course, he had absolutely no intention of taking any consequences if he could possibly avoid it, hurrying back to his rooms and bursting into Thor's prison.

"Do you swear to me that you won't harm the barrow?"

Thor frowned at him, tense and confused.

"I'll even put a little fence around it if you like."

"Do you swear though?"

Thor rolled his eyes.

"I swear. And you're a fairy, right? Why don't you put a spell on me so I can't?"

That wasn't a bad idea actually... Maybe later. He had to deal with this problem now.

"Time to go," he said. "I'm going to take you back. But you have to be quiet."

He left the chains on but undid them from the chaise, working his strongest invisibility spells over them both and steering Thor out through his parlour.

"Why all this secrecy, little prince?"

"Shut up."

"No one knows you have me, do they?"

"I'm supposed to deal with you and I am. Now shut up before you have to deal with someone less friendly than me."

The journey through the palace was easy enough, long, empty corridors at this time in the morning, but the city was crowded. Market day? Maybe. Loki held Thor back and then pushed him forward, jostled their way through the streets, the buildings carved directly into the stone, so close at the top that they almost touched.

Some people definitely felt a shove or a brush and knew someone was going by unseen, maybe checking their bags in case of thieves. There might even be a report or two of something suspicious going on, but better that than being caught with a human.

The entrance to the barrow was on the very edge of town. No one went there. It wasn't forbidden as such, but it was highly discouraged. Most people weren't interested in the world above. It was dangerous. More than one fairy had ended up coming to a sticky end when they tangled with humans. They were stupid, but they were strong too.

A little shove and Thor was sprawled on the ground back above ground, wincing at the sunlight.

"We didn't have to crawl," he said.

"Why would we have to crawl?" Loki asked, helping him up.

"Because we were underground. There must be a hole or something..."

Absolute nonsense. He took Thor into his house, sitting him on a chair in front of the rancid saucer of milk.

"What was that even for?" he asked nodding at it, finally undoing the chains fully and letting Thor stretch.

"My grandmother used to leave milk out for the fae on... on the solstice and suchlike."

"Why?"

"I don't know. To keep you happy? To stop you... doing things like this, I suppose."

Very odd. Still, he'd achieved his goal. The barrow was safe.

"We have an understanding, then?" Loki said, already a little anxious to be back home before anyone noticed he was gone. "You will leave our home alone."

"And in return?"

Loki frowned, confused.

"In return what?"

Thor stood up and pointedly closed the open door, leaning against it. As if Loki couldn't escape him easily.

"I am... not a good farmer," he said. "I don't really know what I'm doing. But now I learn that I have fairies literally at the end of my field. I can protect you from harm but I would appreciate something in return."

"A peaceful life, how about that?"

"Can you help my crops grow? Can you... bless my field or whatever? You made the grass grow overnight."

"And it was exhausting! I am not a beast of burden for your convenience. If you are bad at what you do, it's no concern of mine. And you will not threaten me."

"I'm not threatening," Thor said, holding his hands up. "I'm merely saying that if I fail, I will have to sell and the next person who buys the farm..."

"I would chase them off. I've done it before."

"And the next one and the next?"

"Yes!"

"Why bother when you can just help me a little and be safe for as long as I live? I can have the barrow protected in my will even."

Loki didn't really understand what that meant, just furious that this idiot human thought he could negotiate...

And yet, if Thor stayed, maybe they could spend more time together. He wouldn't mind having a clandestine lover. Someone completely secret. Someone who wouldn't gossip at promenade, wouldn't brag about bedding the prince.

Someone who wouldn't treat him like glass.

Maybe he could even turn this to his advantage. There may be something else that humans could provide that he could discover in time.

"Don't think you can tell me what to do," he warned. "However... perhaps we can find a mutually enjoyable arrangement."

"What do you have in mind?"

"I will help you, in as much as I can with all my other responsibilities and in return, you will protect the barrow forever and you will... please me when I wish to be pleased."

He hated the cocky smile that spread across Thor's face, so smug, Loki folding his arms and furiously, definitely not blushing as he approached, running a finger down his cheek.

"I think we could come to a very satisfying agreement," Thor said.


	12. Chapter 12

If he was going to continue having this very, very long dream, Thor figured he might as well enjoy it, lifting Loki onto his table and finally getting to touch him properly, greedily running his hands over his body.

"Not here," Loki whined. "Or at least throw out the milk first. It stinks."

He had a point.

"My bedroom is upstairs."

"I know. I snuck in here more than once you know."

Well, that wasn't unnerving at all.

"Go up there and wait for me."

Thor deliberately took his time. He fetched some water from outside, washed the plate, dried it and put it away, checked that the rest of the cottage was still intact, and slowly climbed the stairs. He was pretending to be detached, fully in control, though really his anticipation was rapidly rising, his heart beating loud in his ears.

Loki was clearly used to getting whatever he wanted. Spoiled rotten. And he seemed to rather like being manhandled a little bit.

Thor had met people like him before. People who liked someone else to be in charge, just briefly. They liked knowing that they could let go and be caught safely.

He could do that. He could do it really rather well.

How had he expected Loki to be waiting? Nervous or coy maybe?

He certainly hadn't expected to find him already nude, looking positively bored, gently sliding a finger in and out of his body.

"At last," he sighed. "I thought you were coming to ravish me and instead you've let me get cold."

Thor closed the door and slowly took off his clothes, watching Loki pretend not to be interested as he mounted the bed, catching his wrist and drawing his hand upwards, the slick shining in the sunlight.

"What is this?" he asked. "How do you make it?"

"It's like oil. It's not too hard to spirit into existence. Anyway," he said, lightly kicking Thor's hip. "Get on with it."

Thor grabbed his ankle, drawing him down the bed, staring at his body. So smooth, lean, his dark body hair so stark against his skin, the slight undulations of his already quickened breathing.

"Be patient," he murmured, running his hand up his ribs just to make him shiver.

A fae, he might be, but he reacted like a human. Arching and pouting, so annoyed to be denied, which just made Thor want to keep teasing him, thumbing his nipples, lightly pinching them, his mouth practically watering.

Well, why resist?

Loki keened a little as Thor wrapped his lips around one bud, nibbling at it just on the edge of rough, grazing his chest with his teeth, testing what he wanted. And given the hands that tangled in his hair, the desperate arching, he rather liked it.

"Please, please," he whispered. "I want it."

"Ask nicely."

"But I already said please."

He had, Thor chuckling as he took hold of Loki's hips, pulling him where he wanted, sliding into that perfect heat with a moan.

He set a quick pace, confident that Loki could take it or would tell him very quickly if he couldn't. But he locked his legs around him, angling upwards, trying to take him deeper.

"Is this what you want?"

"Harder. Be rough with me. I want to feel it."

"You're too delicate, little prince."

"I'm no- Ah! Ah, ah!"

He really wasn't. Thor felt like he could handle anything, in fact he'd have to work hard to keep up with him. The sound of skin on skin, those cries, the rhythmic tightening of his body...

It would be so easy to spill, but he had to impress more than anything, gritting his teeth and slowing down.

"What are you doing?" Loki panted. "Don't stop! I forbid it."

He was so funny. Thor knew exactly what he was doing though, trying to find just the right spot, the right angle...

"What are you doing?" Loki asked again.

"Don't you remember? I'm going to make you spill on my cock alone."

"I won't spill at all at this rate."

Thor watched his face, finally getting what he wanted, that little hum of pleasure. He started making little thrusts, rubbing the head of his cock over just the right place, gentle but constant.

"How's that?"

"I want to be pounded, not tickled."

"Be patient."

He kept up that careful pressure, letting Loki's frustration grow and grow, seizing his wrists and holding him in place, denying him any friction other than against Thor's stomach. He could feel just how aroused he was though. The twitching and leaking confirmed that.

Still, Thor was only human. He couldn't resist forever, his thrusts growing faster, deeper, grinning as Loki's eyes widened, his jaw dropping.

"Oh..." he said.

"Uh-huh?"

Loki tried to slip his grasp, not particularly seriously.

"But I need..."

"No, you don't. You can do it."

It had to be maddening, being so close to the edge but not falling. Loki looked to be equal parts fury and desperate need, intrigued by this treatment but not fully convinced, it seemed.

"I can't..." he breathed.

"Yes, you can."

It came as a surprise, that much was clear. The cry Loki let out was almost a shout, his whole body shaking as Thor let go and properly fucked him through it, the two of them collapsing afterwards.

For a moment, at least. Then Loki was batting at him, little annoyed slaps against his chest and side.

"Don't ever disobey me again," he said. "I know what I want."

"You liked it though."

"That's besides the point. Anyway, I'm going home. In a minute."

Thor laughed at him, shaking his head.

"Feel free to recover. I don't mind. But I'll be planting soon so if you can work your... sparkles at some point, I'd be grateful."

That got him a thwack with one of the pillows.


	13. Chapter 13

How could someone with such power to satisfy be so infuriating? Loki stormed home, keen to wash. He had a deeply pleasing looseness in his limbs at least. Very relaxed. Full of lovely twinges.

Thor had kissed his hand as he left in a parody of courtly ritual that was extremely irritating, but overall, this had been a very successful day so far. The barrow was safe, he'd got away with clearing up his little problem and now he even had Thor's body at his beck and call.

For a price, of sorts, and, of course, the fact that said body contained such an annoying person was inconvenient, but that was by the by, really.

He moved his room back to how it was meant to be and fully reclaimed his wash room, soothing his muscles with hot water before heading to promenade.

"You are glowing, my son," his mother said as he bowed, noting again how tired she looked.

"Am I? Must be a new soap."

"From the inside, I mean. It suits you."

He sincerely hoped she didn't have any inkling as to why that might be...

"The... issue earlier," he said, trying to sound casual. "Has it resolved?"

"Alas, no. But I trust you, Loki. You'll discover what it is, I'm sure."

That was odd since he'd got rid of Thor, but maybe it would take a while for the fabric of the kingdom to re-knit itself back into place. Nothing to worry about.

He flowed his way around the hall, playing his part, feeling the kingdom take energy from him. Apparently some people couldn't feel it. Not sensitive to the way it flowed and ebbed in a great swirling river. And he let his mind wander.

This field, then, the crops. It had been difficult to regrow the grass. He wanted to impress Thor with his powers. He'd have to read up on plant magic most likely. Maybe visit the farms beyond the city, though as he understood it, a lot of the magic they did there was maintaining the light.

He could spin it as learning more about the kingdom and how it worked. Or investigating the anomaly that he had already fixed. It didn't really matter.

Over the next few days, he threw himself into it. It was fun to have a little project.

At night, he read books on growth magic. He experimented on shoots and small trees. And in the day, he toured farms and asked a lot of questions.

It probably wouldn't be true to say his visits were welcome, as such. He told them he was coming and so they gave him the treatment he merited. Full tours, full explanations of how everything worked.

Unfortunately, there wasn't very much useful information to be gleaned for his purposes. As he'd suspected, most people employed in the growing of food focussed on the light needed to nourish plants, using their magical energy in place of natural sunshine.

"Of course, your highness, when we lived above ground, we had no need for such efforts. That's a long time ago now, though. Thousands and thousands of years."

"And do you use much growth magic?" Loki asked.

"That's the beauty of the technique we have; such strenuous methods are unnecessary. Energy, water and pollination are sufficient."

They had trained bees. Maybe Loki could borrow some when Thor's fields required them. Or train his own and gift him a hive for honey.

Oh, he really was lust-addled, wasn't he? Thinking about giving presents, of impressing his convenient warm body in the hopes of being made to see stars...

Worth it, though.

And it was not merely a selfish errand. His actions would protect all their homes, all their lives, for Thor's lifetime and potentially beyond.

He was going to have to have his fun while he could, though. Human lifespans were short. And they aged quickly too. How long might Thor have? Twenty years? Thirty at most?

Well, by then maybe he'd be thinking of marrying anyway. Or at least continuing his line.

Thor might want that too, he supposed. He might want to leave the land to a child. He might want a wife. Perhaps their little trysts would have to take place outside the cottage, somewhere else private.

A future problem. And therefore he would deal with it in the future.

He learned all about human food crops. Wheat, barley, durham, rye, turnips, beans. He read all about how to steal them from humans even, a long-standing tradition for times of scarcity.

What would Thor be growing on his little patch? It didn't really matter, but he'd probably have to get a move on if he was going to get something planted in time to harvest this year.

He'd said something about not being a good farmer though. And his scything technique had been very poor in Loki's humble opinion. Why had he come here anyway? Why was he trying to learn agriculture, apparently from scratch? Where had he come from?

Not that Loki cared particularly, but if he was going to be responsible for helping his efforts, it might be useful to know exactly how bad at it he might be.


	14. Chapter 14

"Mr Odinson," Heimdall said. "We haven't seen you for a few days."

"Uh," Thor said, very articulately. "Yes, I had unexpected business out of town. Barely had time to pack a bag."

"Your parcels."

"Thank you."

Whitewash for the outside walls and his first seeds. The ground needed more preparation first, but soon he'd have a whole field of flax, especially with Loki's help.

"We also received a letter with your name on it, but without the proper address."

Hmm. Odd. Thor took the envelope and immediately recognised the handwriting. It only had his name and the town, nothing more. They were guessing.

"Was there a return address?" he asked.

"I don't believe so. Would you want it returned?"

Thor smiled grimly at him.

"I haven't told everyone I know about my new home," he said. "Sometimes one tries to cut people loose, you know?"

"I won't intrude on your business."

Thor's immediate thought was to simply burn the envelope without opening it, pretend he'd never seen it, but it lay heavy in his pocket and glared at him when he tossed it down onto the kitchen table.

Not now. White washing the cottage now.

He mixed it up in the old wash tub, using a pot as a makeshift bucket so he could climb a ladder and get as close to the roof as possible. It was quite a meditative process, painting the walls, refreshing everything. Nice and clean and new, really establishing that someone lived here now.

It took him several days to finish it and every time he entered the kitchen, he felt like the letter was watching him somehow, like it might report back.

He had the strange idea that maybe if he didn't open it, it would disappear by itself.

Still, he didn't burn it. There was curiosity in him that wanted to know what it said, wondered at it too much to bear not reading it, even as he dreaded it. Like a child scared of a ghost story but also terrified in case they didn't hear the ending.

After almost a week in which he'd completely prepared his field - not terribly well, he would admit, the lines wobbling slightly where he'd pushed the plough along without a horse to help him - he finally sat down in the evening and opened it.

_Dear Thor_

_Before you toss this letter aside in disgust, please know that I'm not actively trying to find you. Your mother is terribly anxious and I am humouring her by sending letters to all manner of towns and villages. What a shame that I forgot to add return addresses so most will simply be disregarded._

The guilt, the guilt... It was more or less always there, but all the same, Thor felt it sharply now. But he'd had little choice. No choice really.

_I think this is the one, though. There are rumours that you were visiting the land auctions just before you disappeared and I know for a fact that some in this area would be within your budget. What are you doing? Just hiding? I'm not discouraging you, but you should also consider whether this is sustainable._

_I mean, if you're reading this, that means you haven't even changed your name._

No. No, he hadn't. He'd considered it, but that level of lying, taking on a new identity, was too much.

_Anyway, good luck with it. I'm sure you'll manage at least six months before you come crawling back with your tail between your legs._

_Your sister_

_Hela_

She always signed her notes to him like that, like he might have forgotten who she was. Still, she wasn't betraying him. He was grateful for that.

And he wouldn't go back. He would stay here now. He'd live life on his own terms, however messy and difficult. He'd manage, somehow.

He was going to plant his seeds today, the first batch of them. He'd feel better when that was done. An investment. And in eight weeks or so, he could cut them and send them off and be paid.

It would be good to earn some money. He'd put up a sign on the local bulletin board outside the post office advertising his availability, but there had been no takers yet. It wasn't harvest time, of course, but still. No one needed any help at all?

"Wait until winter," Sif said. "The old ladies don't trust you yet, but when they need help chopping wood to keep warm, then you'll start getting offers."

Thor certainly hoped so as he walked up and down his field, sprinkling flax seed into his rough rows, hoping that they would thrive.

He felt a prickle on the back of his neck, like he was being watched, but there was no one there when he turned round.

Or was there?

"I know you're here," he murmured.

"How can you tell?" came Loki's voice out of nothing.

Thor shrugged.

"Just can."

The next time he glanced over, a dark haired figure was sitting on the barrow, cross-legged and bored.

If he was honest, he was grateful for the company.


	15. Chapter 15

It was a dreadfully inefficient way of doing things, Loki felt. Not that he knew much about human farming despite his research. Still, he watched Thor make his steady progress around the place, planting the seeds and then covering them over with earth, raking it with long careful strokes.

And then he looked at Loki expectantly.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"It's planted and now you can enchant it or whatever."

Loki stood up, dusting himself off, slightly annoyed.

"This is extremely complex and difficult, you know," he said. "I'm going to be exhausted."

"Uh-huh?"

"Yes!"

"I'm sure I'll be able to help you recover."

It wasn't even worth rolling his eyes. Loki set about his task, walking the boundaries of the field three times, sprinkling a powder of eggshell and sunbeams, warm beneath his fingers, using his own strength to activate it. According to what he'd read, it would be better if it had blood in it, but that had sounded messy.

"Is that it?" Thor asked as he came to a stop.

"No. Hush."

He closed his eyes and knelt on the outside of the circle, plunging his hands into the earth and calling out to all the sleeping seeds.

_Hey, you! Wake up!_

They didn't talk back, of course, but he could sense a faint almost annoyance from them. They didn't like being rushed, but they were greedy, drawing life from him as readily as they sucked water from the ground.

And once they'd started, it was hard to make them stop. He let them take and take, ensuring a strong harvest, even as he could feel it draining his energy.

He wrenched himself away after a few minutes, gasping and wincing, his fingers feeling like they'd been bitten or burned. And Thor was watching him, frowning lightly, arms folded.

"Right, is that it?" he asked. "I expected it to be a bit more... impressive."

Loki bridled at that, nostrils flaring.

"You have seen me turn invisible, shrink to the size of a mouse, create chains that shorten and lengthen at will, spirit oil from the ether and levitate objects."

"Well, exactly. Compared to that, this is... dull."

Dull? Dull?!

He'd show him dull.

The fae kingdom got most of its water from deep within the earth, from springs and wells, but he'd read something else in his studies, raising his hands towards the skies, feeling the rain up there in the high atmosphere and pulling it closer and closer, like hauling on a rope.

It was difficult. He'd never done this before. And water was, by its very nature, slippery to work with. He grit his teeth, planting his feet firmly, fighting against the sky itself, the wind and clouds.

_This way. Just for a moment._

The pressure built and built, like a pot rattling upon a stove ready to boil over, until finally huge, fat raindrops splashed upon the thirsty ground, soaking his hair to his head in mere seconds, a proper rainstorm to slake the seeds' early needs.

Loki let go, the clouds dissipating immediately back into a clear summer day, swaying from the effort.

Oh, he felt a little dizzy actually...

He felt Thor catch him, lifting him with a grunt, carrying him inside and putting him in one of his armchairs.

"Impressive enough for you?" he mumbled.

"Very," Thor said, genuinely sounding awed. "Here, let me get you a towel."

Mm. He was rather drenched. And Thor was too, water dripping off his tousled hair, his skin showing through his white shirt in a manner that technically showed nothing but also revealed everything.

Loki let himself be fussed over a little, Thor taking his coat and shirt to hang to dry in the suddenly bright sun, rubbing him gently, even brushing the tangles from his hair, sweeping it back.

"I'm going to take a nap. I'm exhausted. Take me upstairs."

Maybe he had enough energy to make himself just a little lighter for Thor to lift him, clinging on as they traversed the narrow staircase.

"Are you staying for dinner then?" Thor asked.

"No. They'll miss me in the banqueting hall. But maybe when I wake, I'll be in the mood for... other things. Or I might return for payment this evening."

He was already falling asleep, a half smile on his face just imagining how Thor would reward him for his skills.

He didn't notice being carefully tucked into bed.


	16. Chapter 16

What a man. Or rather not a man, or not an ordinary man anyway. Thor enjoyed teasing him but right now he was genuinely just astonished that someone who could command the very sky wanted to spend any time with him, let alone time in his bed.

Seeing him summon rain like that... It had been incredible. No wonder his ancestors had feared and revered such creatures.

And now he had one asleep upstairs.

A prince in his house. A fairy prince, no less.

In the hour or so that Loki slept, Thor did much of his indoor cleaning, his sweeping and scrubbing down the kitchen. He didn't want to go outside in case he missed that voice calling him. He would be an attentive host, ready to spring into action to make tea or whatever else might be desired.

He prepared dinner, chopping turnip and potatoes, setting them in water ready to boil. He darned a sock, rather well even if he said so himself. He dusted.

The letter from his sister was back in its envelope, tucked on his sideboard beside the plates. He was agonising over whether to write back to her, just to confirm that he was safe. To tell her not to look for him. He didn't want to be found.

But maybe the clean break would be better.

He was pondering it again when he finally heard stirring upstairs.

"Thor..."

"Yes?"

No answer. He'd have to go up, then, nipping out to collect Loki's clothes first, laying them on the back of a chair.

Dark hair and a pout from under the blanket, a distinctly moody look.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You let me sleep too long," Loki said. "There's not enough time for you to thank me and for me to go home and get cleaned up before dinner."

"You didn't tell me to wake you. Come back later and I'll give you what you want."

"But I might not have time..."

He might be a powerful magical being and as handsome as the day was long, but he was also such a spoiled brat. Thor rolled his eyes and crawled onto the bed, Loki watching him approach with some interest.

"How about a little thank you now, then?" he asked "To tide you over, since you're apparently so insatiable?"

"What kind of thank you?"

Thor pushed the blanket up and unbuttoned Loki's still damp trousers, tugging them down just enough, rather tempted to roll him over and spank him but resisting. He had something gentler in mind, leaning down and swirling his tongue around the head of Loki's cock.

"Will this do?"

"Mmm..."

The responsiveness! Loki grew hard in his mouth, humming with pleasure, lying back and enjoying himself, gasping when Thor took him rather deeply, sucking hard.

It couldn't possibly be that no one had ever done this for him. He was a prince, after all. Surely there were queues of potential lovers, all eager to become a favourite. And yet maybe being out here with him, away from it all, brought a kind of freedom to indulge, to be open. No performance or fear that rumours would spread or whatever.

Maybe Thor understood that more than he cared to admit, feeling really rather smug to feel Loki's hands on his head, too restricted to thrust upwards but trying all the same, panting and moaning and finally spilling in his mouth. A warning might have been nice, but one thing at a time.

Thor crawled up the bed, very proud of himself, planning to give him a long, thorough kiss but then hesitating. They hadn't kissed yet. Only touched.

He decided to speak instead.

"Will that keep you going?"

Loki pushed him away, stretching like a cat, glowing but tired.

"Paltry for the amount of work I did, but I suppose so. I'll be back, at some point. I don't know when."

"Well, you know where to find me."

Thor watched him get dressed and leave this realm. And that was still very strange. It was like he walked through an invisible door, one moment there and the next gone.

He cooked and ate, setting himself up for the work he'd do tomorrow, though at this stage the plants surely only needed time. Maybe he could start work on his chicken coop. He rather liked the idea of a couple of brown fluffy hens living a happy, comfortable life with him.

When he'd been a child, there hadn't been many alive animals around. Horses, of course. Dogs and cats sometimes. Rats and pigeons. He was aware of sheep and cows and pigs and the like, he just hadn't seen them up close. He'd have to do some research into how best to look after them first.

Maybe Loki could work some kind of anti-fox protection for him.

He went outside in the half light to get some water, enough to wash up and have tea and some to leave for the morning, looking out across his field.

Was that growth already sprouting? Surely not. A trick of the light.

He just had to be patient.


	17. Chapter 17

For someone who used magic all the time for the slightest of reasons, Loki was almost offended by his own body and how tired he was. It was like he'd used muscles that he didn't normally. Going from running to lifting heavy things.

"Darling, you look a little peaky," his mother said over dinner. "Are you quite well?"

"Just a little tired."

"Mm. Trying to seek out our little problem must be taking it out out you dreadfully. It's faded a lot, but it's definitely still there."

Loki stirred his soup, drawing patterns with the light dash of cream on the top of it. They had a table of their own tonight, his uncle still in an overrunning meeting with the other advisors. The anomaly still hadn't resolved fully? But it had been days since he'd deposited Thor back in the human realm. A week and more.

Maybe he would have to actually look into this. Maybe it wasn't anything to do with Thor at all.

"How is getting rid of the human going?" she asked, almost as though she could tell where his mind had wandered.

"What, sorry?"

"The human above the barrow. Have you successfully scared him off?"

"Oh. Er, no, but having observed him closely, I don't think this one is a threat."

"Really?" she asked, sounding concerned. "Why's that?"

"He has cultivated the land around the barrow but left it completely untouched. As I understand it from overhearing conversations, they believe it is sacred in some way."

A grim smile, tilting her head to the side.

"I have lived long enough to see humans destroy plenty of things they previously considered sacred. But I trust your judgement. If you say this one is not a problem then you are probably right. I also hear you have been very diligent in your observations."

Loki tried not to give anything away, keeping his voice steady, his cheeks carefully neither flushing or paling.

"Has someone been reporting back on me? One of your spies? Uncle?"

"I don't spy on you, my darling, and nor does he, but people do notice the prince making his way out of town on a semi-regular basis. Don't worry. As long as you're taking the right precautions, I'm glad you've been taking it so seriously."

Hmm. Maybe he ought to be more careful about who saw him coming and going.

"I've never had a chance to see a human so close up before," he said vaguely. "It's quite interesting. There's something intriguing about them. I enjoy watching."

He wasn't sure about the way she was looking at him. Moderately concerned? Cautiously glad? It was difficult to read, even for him. She seemed wary almost.

"Well," she said, topping up both their glasses. "If you're up there studying humans, at least I know you're not down here getting into mischief."

"Excuse me, I don't get up to mischief at all!"

"Loki, when you were fifty, I caught you trying to set silencing spells on certain courtiers."

"Well, I'm not fifty anymore."

She smiled at him.

"No. No, quite right."

Did she suspect that he might be doing more adult things with a human? Loki wasn't sure. If she did, maybe she didn't mind. Maybe, as he did, she thought it a safer way to deal with excess energy and desires. No courtly drama. No accidental pregnancy.

Of course, even if she'd come to that conclusion, she wouldn't know he was doing magic for his new human companion. Honestly, she'd probably be more cross about that and make him read up on captive fae and the humans who held them in iron cages. Old stories that probably never even happened really.

Thor wouldn't do anything to hurt him, he felt sure of that, certainly not deliberately. They had a transactional arrangement, not an unbalanced one. The treatment he'd received this afternoon, for instance, had been very agreeable. Much as he enjoyed being energetic in the bedroom, he wasn't exactly averse to just lying back and being worshipped.

"Anyway," Loki said, forcing his mind back to the present. "Some of those courtiers were dreadfully dull. I stand by my fifty-year-old self."

"Not everyone can be a dazzling wit, my darling. Dull, steady people can be the most useful and intelligent types. And the most dangerous, on occasion."

"Dangerous, how?"

"Well, for example, if they felt their prince was not listening properly to their concerns. You don't have to agree or act, but I would compel you at least to listen. You never know what might be of use."

Loki nodded very piously, but in truth he didn't understand why she was worried. There had not been unrest in the kingdom for centuries, long before he was born. She was much beloved from what he could tell.

Though perhaps she was right. He could make more of an effort sometimes.

He took himself off to bed after dinner, needing to sleep despite his afternoon nap, snuggling into his blankets.

Mm... Everything was turning out rather well, considering. Yes, he did need to be taking more responsibility, but he could handle that and then he had Thor available to reward himself for all his efforts. He'd done the hard work on the farm for a while now, so that wouldn't be exhausting him again for at least a few months.

There were definitely worse ways to live.


	18. Chapter 18

Well, the flax had grown.

Thor paced up the side of the field nervously. This was what he had asked for and yet it also very much wasn't what he'd asked for at all. He'd asked for a little help with his crops, imagining a little fertiliser to give them a good start in life.

And what he had was a field that had sprung up to a foot in height the day after he'd planted it.

Right. He lived on the very edge of town. There weren't many people around out here at the moment, the neighbouring fields being left alone to grow. He saw Miss Sif most days, but with any luck the field was obscured from the road by his hedges.

He just didn't want to be burned as a witch. To his knowledge, it hadn't happened for hundreds of years, but these were clearly superstitious people with all their talk of ghosts and curses.

Though admittedly, he had enlisted the help of a magical creature so it wasn't exactly like the accusation would be completely wide of the mark.

Well, the best way to avoid suspicion would probably be to pretend this was normal and expected. Like he had planted the field a week or so ago and this was completely normal, natural growth.

He was beginning to suspect that maybe Loki hadn't really known what he was doing either. Or maybe this was normal for fae. He'd eaten when he was down there. They definitely had vegetables, but they seemed to live underground without sunlight. They must know how to grow them some other way and presumably they used magic for that. But then again, Loki was a prince. How much farming would a little rich boy be doing?

Probably about exactly as much as Thor had previously done really...

He was using his spade to draw out a potential coop footprint at the front of the cottage, wondering how much space was best for chickens, when he heard a voice calling him, turning to find Miss Sif at the bottom of his path.

"Mr Odinson?"

"Yes?"

"I have a job for you if you're interested. Paid work."

Ooh. That was a turn-up for the books. He fetched his coat and locked the door, hurrying down to meet her.

"It won't pay very much," she said. "But it will curry some favour and it's nothing too difficult."

"Sounds perfect."

"It's for the biggest landowner in the area," she said. "Owns almost the whole village and so almost everyone ends up working for him at one time or another. One of his fields has been left fallow for a couple of years and apparently it's had a drystone wall collapse. He just wants the stones moved."

"I'm sure I can manage that."

She looked at him rather curiously, like she was weighing up whether to ask him something and then electing to give it a try.

"Forgive my saying so, but you've not farmed before, have you?"

"What gave me away?" he laughed.

"Just... a general sense that you're experimenting rather than practising tried and familiar methods."

"I'm afraid I'm a city boy really. I come from a world of smoke and factories. All soot and cobblestones."

"What made you come out here?"

"Well, just look at the place," Thor said, lying a little bit. "I mean, it's practically paradise. Much nicer than the crowds and the narrow streets. It's nice to see the clear sky instead of smog."

Thor expected to meet the owner, but apparently he just managed the land from afar. He'd known a few men who did that; huge estates in the country that they profited from but never actually visited. Sif took him down a long path between acres of fields, a lush meadow to one side and, indeed, a tumbled down wall.

"Does he want them put anywhere in particular?" he asked.

"Literally just out of the field. It's to be cleared and ploughed and he doesn't want his equipment damaged by an unseen rock in the long grass."

"Fair enough. Thank you for thinking of me."

"Not at all."

She left him to it. At first he tried to rebuild the wall but then quickly realised he didn't have the skills for it. The stones clearly had to be placed in a particular order to balance and he couldn't work it out.

Just do what you've been asked, Thor.

It was tiring, but he rather liked that. It felt good to be engaged in good, honest, physical work. The sun was shining, bees were humming their way from flower to flower, birds singing... He went home with a pleasant ache in his muscles, a little sweaty and looking forward to dinner very much.

The only way this day might get better would be if Loki were to turn up, but alas, he must be busy. Thor took a bath, long and luxurious, going to bed knowing he'd sleep well.

Sif dropped off an envelope the next day, a few coins in it. Nothing huge, but still welcome.

"I've reported back that you did it very quickly," she said. "I think he'll like that. He might start writing to you directly. I've not told him your name though; I thought you might like to introduce yourself."

"Thank you. It's very welcome."

"Just, er... Don't cross him. He is a man of short temper."

Oh. That was an unusual warning. What exactly might happen if he did?

"I'll bear that in mind."

A grumpy landowner. Well, hopefully he could earn a little doing odd jobs and never have to actually cross paths with him in person. He could just be a faceless occasional labourer.

The next day, the flax had grown even higher, and the next and the next. He'd have to cut it soon and make introductions to a flax merchant to sell it for him. How did you meet such people? Was there an address you could write off to? The need to know what coming rather sooner than expected.

And on the fourth day, as he was sitting down at his table to read his mail, the back door opened and closed and then an invisible weight settled itself in his lap.

"Hello to you too."

Loki blinked into existence.


	19. Chapter 19

Everything was so frustrating. And Loki was trying. He really was. He'd attended court every day of the week since that little chat with his mother and he'd even taken notes.

But really, there was nothing interesting going on. People knew what they were doing and they did it and the queen oversaw everything and wove the threads at promenade to ensure their land was healthy and prosperous. And that was it, really. Just that and a lot of very dull talking.

There was still no indication what the strange anomaly was. Without discussing it, he and his mother were keeping its existence a secret from both his uncle and the wider council. Loki watched them all carefully, just in case one of the duchesses or marchesas or barons was behind it, determined not to miss even a hint of the mask slipping. But it was almost completely gone now, just a faint little scar where it had been so notable. Probably nothing to worry about.

And now here he was on the one day they didn't meet sneaking off to hopefully have his mind blissfully, thoroughly emptied for a little while, flitting invisibly through the stems of Thor's crops without even pausing to admire his handiwork and into his kitchen, settling himself on Thor's lap.

"Hello to you too."

"I brought breakfast."

It would be far finer than anything Thor had; little fruit pastries, sweet and rich, small enough to eat in only a bite or two.

He chewed his own thoughtfully as he brought the other to Thor's mouth, his fingers brushing lightly against his lips. Hmm...

"I think I would like you to kiss me."

Thor laughed, running his hands up Loki's thighs.

"What's brought that on?"

"I just want you to," Loki said, frowning. "Why? What's wrong with kissing?"

"Nothing at all."

"Oh, dear, are you terribly bad at it?"

"I just didn't realise it was something you wanted, that's all."

He reached round Loki's body to pick up his mug, gulping his tea, his throat moving in a very interesting way, putting the porcelain carefully to the side.

"Well?" Loki said.

"Well, what?"

"Kiss me!"

Thor smiled at him, rubbing a thumb gently over his mouth, hooking into his lower lip and gasping when Loki sucked on it, looking at him somewhat reproachfully.

"You're too handsome for your own good, you know," he said, but at last he was leaning forward, cupping Loki's face in both hands, giving him what he wanted.

More or less, anyway. He didn't resist when Loki wrapped his fingers in his hair and made it rather more urgent and passionate, grinding down and grinning when he felt a slight swelling. Ah, such power in such little effort.

"Mm," he murmured. "Feels like you've missed me."

"Look who's talking. Barely here two minutes and already writhing and desperate."

He said that, but he was already breathing hard, lifting Loki onto the table and starting to unfasten their clothes.

"Here?"

"Why not?" Thor growled. "You don't want it?"

"No, I just hate the idea of you getting hard every time you sit down for a meal, that's all."

"I'll take that risk."

This was so rough and ready, so uncouth, and Loki couldn't deny thrilling at that a little, pushing his hips up to let Thor pull off his trousers, biting his lip as he watched him just unbuckle his belt and open his fly, leaving himself mostly clothed. Too impatient to wait...

"Ready?"

His magical preparations didn't take more than a second, but Loki wanted this sweet torture to last a little longer, pulling Thor close by his collar for some more kisses, wrapping his legs around him, feeling him growing more and more needy, his cock bumping against his slick skin.

"Go on," he murmured. "Go on, do it."

It was a different angle, having Thor standing. As he was filled at last, behind the thoughts of _yes, good, more_ , Loki made a mental note that he wanted to try as many angles as possible as soon as possible and possibly multiple times so he could try to pick a favourite.

The table scraped against the floor with the force of Thor's slow, deliberate thrusts, his belt buckle rattling, kissing Loki all the while until he needed to break away and gasp for air, speeding up.

No teasing now. This was hard and fast, Loki stroking his cock with one hand and clinging to Thor's shoulder with the other, getting everything that he wanted, rushing to the edge and spilling with a gasp, feeling Thor's climax barely a second behind.

And then he lay back upon the table to bask in Thor's attentions, being kissed all across his face and down to his neck and chest, giggling as Thor's lips explored even along his arms to the tips of his fingers.

"Do you treat all your lovers like this?"

"Only the particularly needy ones."

"And how many have there been?"

Thor gave him a wary look, but it passed over his face in only a moment.

"Six or seven, depending on what you include."

So few... But then again, he'd had less time, Loki supposed. Humans aged fast. He could only have had maybe ten or twelve years' experience, if he was judging his age correctly.

"What might I not include?"

He cleaned up the worst of the mess with a wave of his hand, stretching lightly.

"Well," Thor said. "My first male partner and I didn't really know what we were doing and so mainly kissed and handled ourselves. Would you count that?"

"I think so."

Loki couldn't deny being a little curious about where Thor had come from. What was his history? Why had he come here in the first place?

"Tell me about yourself."

"Why?"

"Because I want to know. I mean, you're clearly not local."

Thor buckled his belt, falling back into his chair.

"Can't even fool people from another world," he said, sounding a little dispirited.

Maybe it would be difficult to convince him to talk, but that just made Loki all the more determined.


	20. Chapter 20

Loki pouted at him, getting dressed and ensconcing himself in the other chair. He wanted to talk suddenly, even though that was not remotely the kind of relationship they had. God only knew why.

But, well, maybe he could just give him a little something, just to slake this curiosity.

"I'm from a city that you won't have heard off. My family are... quite wealthy. They own a factory. But I decided I didn't want to go into the family business so I am making my own life here. The air is cleaner, the work is more suited to my skills."

"That's it?"

"Yes," Thor lied. "That's it. And I already know that you're some kind of magical prince. Are you a doing things type of royal or more of a figurehead?"

That was probably quite an offensive thing to say, but that kept Loki annoyed and out of his business.

"Of course I do things! I sit on council and I... You wouldn't understand because it's fae business and magic, but I work very hard. Why do you think I appreciate stress relief so much? For one thing at the moment, we have some kind of unexplained oddity that I'm supposed to be sorting out but I honestly have no idea where to begin."

Thor made some tea. It was what you did.

And he was getting the sense that Loki wanted someone to talk to. He understood that urge. Despite his father's best efforts to prevent him from fraternising with the factory staff, he used to socialise with them. Even so, there were some topics which were not spoken of and occasions when a conversation would suddenly cease when he entered the pub. The only person he could really talk to about his concerns about the business was his sister and she really did not understand him a lot of the time.

Maybe he could give Loki an ear and a shoulder to cry on as well as other anatomical parts.

"What kind of oddity?" he asked.

Loki seemed faintly unimpressed with the tea, but sipped it anyway.

"Well, I thought it was you, at first," he said. "It appeared while you were in my care."

"That's one way of looking at abducting me," Thor said.

"Anyway, I got rid of you and it's not gone away, not completely, so who knows what it is. And my mother is... She wants me to take more responsibility and I am trying, but half the council still treat me like a child. I'm going to have to keep looking into it, but it's really getting in my way."

Mm. Thor wished he could help, but it wasn't like he could offer any advice about magical issues.

"It helps to talk things through sometimes," he said. "And it's not like I can tell anyone any secrets. Not without them thinking I'm mad. Just here to bounce ideas off."

"Well, that goes both ways," Loki said. "I'm still not convinced that you're telling me the whole truth. A man showing up alone and being decidedly unforthcoming about his past tells me that there is something in that past that he wants to conceal."

"Or there might just be nothing to tell," Thor said.

He wasn't totally sure he was getting away with this. He was going to have to tread carefully.

"I can't tell people secrets either," Loki said.

No, he couldn't, but Thor really didn't want to talk about it. His eyes drifted towards his unread post, the unaddressed envelope there that was not in his sister's hand.

He shouldn't have. Loki lunged for it and vanished immediately, leaving him flailing, trying to find him.

"Give that back! It's none of your business."

"Dear Thor," Loki read, his voice coming from the corner of the room but evidently via magic since he definitely wasn't there when Thor tried to catch him. "Hela tells me she has received no reply to her letters so now I am trying myself. Please respond. Your father and I miss you very much."

"Stop," Thor growled. 

Loki reappeared in the doorway, looking at him with some concern.

"You've run away from something," he said. "What is it?"

"Nothing."

"Did you kill someone?"

"Of course not!"

"But you did do something."

Thor fumed, absolutely furious, snatching the letter out of Loki's hand.

"My parents want to push me into a life that I do not want, that's all."

"I don't believe you. You wouldn't run so far if that was all."

"Look, you've had your reward for helping me last week. Leave."

Loki half smiled at him, trying to charm him. Well, it wouldn't work, not this time.

"I was rather hoping for another round..."

"Do you really think I'm in the right mood now?"

"Well, you're quite cross. That could be fun."

He was tempted, he couldn't deny that, but he didn't want to reward this kind of behaviour.

"No. We have an arrangement and it does not include you prying into my life. I'd like you to leave."

And Loki pouted and complained and whined, but Thor was resolute.

"Come back tomorrow," he said. "Maybe I'll have forgiven you by then."

Loki left without another word, but Thor was fairly certain he'd be back. Definitely.

He read the rest of his mother's letter, feeling increasingly guilty. But he couldn't return there. Not now. Nothing had changed.

There was another envelope too, one actually addressed to the house properly, very fine paper and a blocky, confident handwriting that he didn't recognise.

_For the attention of the new owner,_

_I could have been knocked over by a feather when Miss Felwyr told me that someone was actually living in Yowtonhame. It has been some years since anyone tried and I had almost written it off for good._

_I write with a proposition for you. You may know that I own a lot of the land in and around the village. In fact, yours is one of the only fields I do not possess. It's rather irritating, as you may be able to imagine, to have a gap in one's portfolio and to have to plan crops around rather an awkwardly shaped plot._

_The previous owner refused to sell to me, but I hope you will be more reasonable. I will pay you far more than the land is worth, enough for you to set up in any town, village or hamlet that you might choose._

Thor hesitated, skimming the rest. He did not like the tone of this letter. There was a kind of... presumptive air that rubbed him entirely the wrong way. Like he would be desperate to sell, ready to jump for the right offer.

Well, he wasn't. Not when he'd done so much work already. And besides, the barrow would not be safe with someone else, especially if they had a mind to take out the hedges and make it part of one enormous field. He might be annoyed with Loki, but he wasn't going to renege on their agreement.

He dug out a pen and ink from a drawer, finding a piece of paper and began drafting a reply.

_For the attention of Mr Thanos,_

_I regret to inform you that Yowtonhame is not for sale and there is no amount of money you could offer that would change this._

_I sincerely hope this will not affect any working relationship we might cultivate._

_Yours faithfully,_

_Thor Odinson_


	21. Chapter 21

How dare he? How dare a stupid human just dismiss him like that? Didn't he know who he was dealing with?

Alright, so maybe he shouldn't pry, but all the same, if Thor would just tell him the truth, he wouldn't have to. And there was more to his sudden arrival than he was saying.

A love affair gone wrong, perhaps? Theft or fraud?

It could be anything really.

On the other hand, Loki's desire to be distracted had gone really rather well. He had completely put his own responsibilities out of his head which made the messenger outside his door all the more annoying.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Her majesty requests your presence, my prince. It's extremely urgent," she said.

"How urgent?"

"Very, very urgent."

Right. Fine. He made his way along to his mother's office. What had he done now? He hadn't even been here to get up to any hijinks...

"It's getting worse," she said as soon as he entered. "Or rather it has got worse suddenly."

"When?" Loki asked, coming to look.

It was odd... Where the scar had been, now it reminded him of a bruise almost or maybe an insect bite. A place of discolouration or swelling, something not right. Not like it was infected, but like it was irritated.

"This morning. I don't understand it."

Hm. This morning he'd been with Thor. But he'd been with Thor a lot recently and it hadn't had this kind of effect.

"Is this the first change in it since it first came to your attention?"

"It had been... fading. It started small and grew worse but then after we spoke, it faded. Until this morning."

And Thor had not been back in their realm in that time. Or... Well, Loki supposed his, uh... essence had, technically, but that had been more than once. It was more likely to be completely unrelated.

"Do you think it malicious?" he asked. "Someone conspiring against us?"

"I don't want to jump to conclusions. It could be any number of things. A mistake, an accident. A young person learning spells for the first time and having them go awry."

"But it could be deliberate?"

"Maybe. We should not rule anything out."

If it was deliberate, then that person was going to wish they had never been born. Nobody threatened him and especially not his mother and got away with it.

"I'll visit the schools," he said. "The healer colleges maybe. If it's an accident then that person might need help."

It took up a great deal of his time. He arranged for visits and tours, paying particular attention to the more magically inclined. Reminding them that unbalancing the kingdom's aura could be dangerous but that no one would be angry about an honest mistake, goodness me, no...

Their young faces watched him with a mixture of worry and surprised, unnerved by his interest, but even after touring many establishments and dropping hints to teachers and tutors that some faint ripples had been felt and did they have any potential candidates who could be doing that, he had nothing.

Not so much as a face he thought looked guilty.

He was so busy that he didn't visit Thor for some weeks, a fact which he was strangely smug about whenever he remembered it. No doubt he'd be desperate for him by now.

The anomaly subsided again. Perhaps he'd successfully discouraged whoever it was. Or maybe they'd have to be ever-more vigilant to it happening again and seek out the source.

In fact, he was starting to worry that it might be closer to home. It was an idea that came to him in the middle of the night, when bad, worrying thoughts tended to swirl around in his brain; this thing, whatever it was, had an organic feel to it. And his mother was so tightly entwined with the kingdom, sensitive to its every little change and fluctuation.

What if the anomaly was not in the kingdom but in her? An illness perhaps?

Somehow, he wasn't sure how to ask her about that. How to suggest that maybe she ought to see a doctor, just in case.

With anyone else, he might try to trick them in some way. He could learn some basic medical tests, and he could probably attempt to work that kind of spell without being noticed, but with her, he knew better than to even try. He could hide his personal life - mainly because it was his business rather than because she might disapprove necessarily - but he couldn't hide any magic done in her presence.

And that meant he had limited options. Very limited.

He hated having limited options. He liked having at least three plans to hand and a couple of other ideas in the back of his mind for unexpected events and then to be able to improvise. His mother was the best improviser he knew, possibly even better than him, and that afforded far fewer opportunities to simply leave in a cloud of confusion and half-truths.

So what to do? How did you bring up something like that?

Anything he said to anyone would get back to her. She was queen, and therefore all council members and advisors were loyal to her first and him second. She would hear immediately if he asked for counsel, even if he asked his uncle, probably before the words had even passed his lips.

Maybe he ought to just confront her. Or not confront. That was much too harsh. But perhaps being a little blunt about his fears...?

Hm. Not sure.

A little unhelpful voice in the back of his mind told him that he was just giving himself an excuse to visit Thor and take advantage of a truly private ear. And maybe that was the case. But why not?

After all, surely he had got over that silliness about letters by now.


	22. Chapter 22

Anger prickled lightly under Thor's skin. It wasn't an out-of-control blaze, though; more a gentle but constant smoulder.

He had sent off his letter in good faith and set about tending his little farm. He'd built a coop but was waiting for rain to see how weather-proof it was before looking into hens and his flax had grown and grown, tall enough to cut less than a month after he planted it. Loki's work, of course.

And he hadn't seen him for a while now. Maybe they had really fallen out. He'd genuinely assumed that Loki would be back the next night and then he wasn't and so he'd thought that it would be the next night and then the next.

And now it had been weeks and in the meantime he'd also begun to realise that what he'd thought was a polite declination towards a business proposal was actually affecting his life.

He hadn't received another word from Thanos, but he was feeling his influence on him. He knew that a lot of other people were being employed to clear fields and plant them, to harvest others, but no further offers of work came his way. He was being shut out.

Sif seemed somewhat surprised, finding him building nesting shelves.

"I didn't expect you to be here," she said. "Most of the town is clearing the meadow."

"I fear I've caused Mr Thanos some offence," Thor said.

"Really? How?"

"He wants to buy my land and I do not wish to sell it to him. Alas, it simply makes me more determined not to. I'll get by, don't worry."

She clearly wasn't fully convinced because she directed a salesman to his door who offered to purchase his flax for an extremely fair price.

"I haven't been completely cut off by the local landlord, then?" Thor asked, signing their agreement.

"Between you and I, a lot of people don't agree with his way of doing things," the man said. "More than one been threatened by him. I expect there would be more people doing what you're doing if they didn't have the risk of eviction hanging over them."

Mm. That was a good point. He was extremely lucky to own his home, to be safe from arbitrarily being thrown out. And it just made Thor all the more cross at someone choosing to throw their influence around so... crassly.

Should he write again? Maybe an apology for any offence he had given, but reiterating that Yowtonhame was not - and, indeed - would never be for sale.

He needed a solicitor really. He was trying to work out how to protect the barrow legally. And maybe he was paranoid, but he had also seen... someone. Someone he thought was watching him. A woman he kept catching glances of as he went about his day. He was beginning to think he ought to get his affairs in order sooner rather than later, just in case.

Then again, there was only really Hela that he could leave the land to and he couldn't see her keeping it. She'd sell it and then that person would sell it to Thanos and then what of the fae?

How old was this Thanos, though? He was imagining a man as old as his father. With a bit of luck, perhaps he only really had to outlive him...

That was rather a dark thought. He seemed full of dark thoughts at present. Fears and worries and guilt...

But it wasn't just his mind. He was also suffering physical symptoms. He couldn't really define them. It was his eyes more than anything. He was seeing shimmers and sometimes in the mirror, he thought he could almost see something, like an odd glimmer around his body.

He came home from buying milk and other groceries and immediately knew he wasn't alone. He could sense it. Some movement in the air or something.

He hesitated.

"Loki?"

The touch shouldn't have been a surprise and yet he span round in a panic when a hand tapped his shoulder, finding Loki looking at him in pure bafflement.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked.

"Nothing," Thor said. "Just... there's been some things happening. Human things."

"Hm."

There was a long pause and gradually Thor realised he was being looked at expectantly.

"What is it?"

"Have you missed me?"

Thor sighed, rubbing a stiff muscle in the back of his neck.

"Yes," he admitted. "There's been more than one evening that I've gone and stood by the barrow, hoping you'd appear."

Loki beamed at him, wrapping his arms around his neck.

"I'd hoped to arrive sooner, but I've been so dreadfully busy. And stressed."

That made two of them.

Thor pulled him into an embrace, feeling him smile against his lips, immediately feeling better just to have that intimacy, that warmth.

"I should eat something first," he said, in between kisses. "Keep my stamina up."

"I should have brought you dinner," Loki said. "But that's alright. I wanted to ask you something anyway."

Now, why did that fill him with concern?


	23. Chapter 23

Thor looked bad. Tired, maybe. And part of Loki wanted to believe that that was because he was pining for him, but he didn't really think that. Something else was going on here.

He offered to share his dinner, but Loki had already eaten. All the same, he was kind of fascinated by human cookery. The stove was one thing, but it seemed so... labour intensive. All that chopping and stirring and moving things around in the pan.

Loki didn't cook himself, of course, but some of his spells required heating and even the most complex ones didn't require this much physical effort. Then again, Thor couldn't very well set a spoon to stir by itself like he could.

"What did you want to talk about?" Thor asked.

Ah. Yes.

"If you needed to broach an unpleasant topic with someone, how would you go about it?"

"Erm... Well, it depends what it is."

That probably made sense. Different techniques for different situations.

"I'm concerned about my mother's health and I want her to see a healer. Purely precautionary, of course. It may be nothing. But I fear she might think I think she's... I don't know. Old. Weak."

"Do you think that?"

"No. Honestly, I think quite the opposite. I'm just worried about her. But it's probably nothing."

"Well, then that's the thing to tell her, isn't it? That you love her and you're just concerned. It's primarily for your peace of mind rather than anything else."

"I just fear that conveying that elegantly may be easier said than done. If it were your mother, how might you go about it?"

Thor chuckled, sitting down with a plate of something mainly yellow. Eggs perhaps. It didn't smell entirely terrible.

"I'm not sure I'm exactly the right person to ask about managing to speak to parents calmly."

Loki hesitated a little. The heat seemed to have gone out of this particular subject in the intervening weeks since they'd argued.

"What was it that made you come here?" he asked. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but it clearly matters to you a lot. Otherwise you wouldn't have taken such a drastic step."

He watched Thor eat, watched the way he considered things before speaking.

"It was the culmination of several things," he said eventually. "I've never really had much interest in the factory. My sister - my half-sister - is much more attuned to it than I am, but being male, it was going to fall to me."

"That's a stupid way of doing things. Surely it should be amicable and go to the one best suited to it?"

"So if you had an older sister, she'd be the next queen?"

"If my mother named her, yes. My grandfather named my mother over my uncle. And she could name him over me, I suppose, but I don't think it's likely. Couldn't you hand over to her if you wanted to?"

"I could, but that would rather tangle with my second problem. Because, you see, there was... a woman."

Ah... Wasn't there always?

"Was she pregnant?" Loki asked.

"Not by me."

"Then what did you do to her?"

"Nothing!" Thor insisted. "Honestly, nothing. I've met her perhaps twice in passing. But her father owns a rival factory and my father thinks it would be a sensible move for me to marry her and combine our two businesses. It's... quite something to arrive at breakfast and be informed that your life has been bargained with. That you've been engaged without any say in the matter."

"Do you not like her?"

"I'm sure she's delightful, but I don't know that. I don't know her. I'm not going to marry someone I do not know. And so I decided to leave my life behind. Start again somewhere new."

"Just like that?"

"Well, I tried to argue my case, but my father was not to be convinced. He truly thinks it's for the best, for me and for the future of the factories. Hell, maybe he's right. I just think a marriage organised by businessmen without consulting either of the people involved is probably doomed to unhappiness, that's all."

Hm. These were human affairs as far as Loki was concerned. He didn't fully understand. Fae had marriage, of course. Some people liked to mark their relationships like that, officially linking themselves in law. But humans seemed to make it all so much more complex for no good reason that he could see.

"You father sounds like quite a handful," he said.

"He is... inflexible," Thor said. "How about yours? You've not mentioned him."

"He died before I was born."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. My understanding is that it was a transactional affair. My mother wished for a child and she found a suitable man and then... me. There wasn't much romance to it. I think they were friends beforehand but nothing more serious."

"And is that... normal for fae?"

"It's fairly unusual but not unheard of, especially for royalty. Magic is the most important quality for us. You need a strong set of skills to look after the kingdom. My father was a very powerful magic user, that's why she chose him. She wanted me to have the best chance of inheriting some natural abilities from both sides."

"Is that how that works? You inherit it, like... Like having green eyes?"

"It's combination of parentage and training. All of us have some magic and anyone can train to be a working mage, but it's easier if you have a bit of a head start. Some humans have a little magic in them too."

"Really?"

"Of course. We have common ancestors and there has been occasional interbreeding down the centuries. It hangs around."

"Do I have any?"

It was almost sweet of him to ask and Loki immediately spotted an opportunity for fun.

"Well, I'd have to examine you to be sure," he said. "Possibly quite closely."

Thor clearly realised this was something of a game immediately, half smiling as he finished his meal.

"Is that so?" he asked. "How closely?"

"Very, very intimately indeed."


	24. Chapter 24

Thor let himself be taken upstairs and let Loki remove his clothes, examining him with a critical eye. He wasn't even totally sure this was any kind of magic until Loki began drawing on him with a piece of charcoal out of his fireplace, spreading the ash with the lightest of touches.

"What do they mean?" Thor asked, looking at the patterns swirling down his arms.

"They make it easier for me to see any magic that might flow through your veins. Now keep still."

Easier said than done. It tickled, for one thing, especially in the backs of his knees. Not that he was complaining about having Loki kneeling in front of him, though, his body growing more and more interested by the second despite the cooling evening air.

A light kiss to the head of his cock was all he got before Loki stood up and performed a strange dance around him. Some steps this way, some steps the other, closing his eyes.

He stood there for a long time, occasionally twitching. Suddenly it didn't feel so much like a game. Suddenly Loki was frowning at him, like he was a puzzle he couldn't work out.

"I don't... I don't understand what's in you," he said.

"What?" Thor laughed. "What do you mean?"

"There's... There's magic there, but it's not... It's not coming from you, it's just in you. In your hair and skin, in your flesh... I've never seen anything like it before."

That did sound odd. Maybe. He didn't know anything about it.

"Is that... bad? Will it harm me?"

"I don't think so. It's just strange. But maybe this is just how human magic is, once it passes through the generations. I'll look into it."

Thor was a little shaken all the same, a little concerned. Could it be some kind of disease? Could he have caught something from Loki, like some kind of fae flu? Maybe that explained the strange things he was experiencing.

He didn't want to think about that though, pulling Loki close.

"We didn't really come up here just to discuss magic," he said.

"No, we didn't. But I should clean you unless you want to get ash all over your sheets."

"Well, they're probably due a wash anyway. And anyway, aren't I your dirty little secret?"

"I don't think that's generally meant to be literal..."

All the same, he let Thor flop them onto the bed, kissing and wrestling with Loki's clothes, the magic writing getting smudged out against fabric and flesh, running his hands over Loki's pale skin and leaving traces with every motion.

Part of him liked the idea of leaving marks on Loki, however fleeting. A little reminder. Something for him to catch sight of and remember and maybe squirm a little as he imagined the next time.

"Come on, then," Loki said, lying amongst Thor's pillows with his arms over his head, the very image of spoiled decadence. "I've surely waited long enough."

"You realise saying things like that makes me want to make you wait some more?"

"But I want it... And you want it too, you love being inside me."

Well, that was true...

"Turn over for me? And kneel up. Yeah, like that."

Loki arched so beautifully, resting his head still and looking back at him with those sharp green eyes as Thor ran his hands over the length of his back and up his thighs, almost moaning when he finally held those two perfect globes and spread them, finding that sweet, shining hole, open and ready for him.

"Don't just stare at it," Loki mumbled, like he wasn't enjoying being looked at like the most wondrous being in the universe.

"Mm, but I want to admire you some more," Thor said.

He let the head of his cock catch a few times, testing the resistance, holding Loki in place as he tried - not very hard - to push back. And then he pressed just the tip inside, just to then withdraw, getting impatient grumbles from the headboard.

"I better be limping by the end of this," Loki said, gasping as Thor finally pushed all the way in, slowly, watching his length being fully engulfed.

"So gorgeous," he said, pulling all the way out so he could do it again. "Oh, Loki..."

"Come on. I can bare... Mm, I can barely feel it."

Yeah, sure. But they were both desperate now, Thor shoving back in, all the way, delighted by the way Loki cried out, starting to give him what he wanted.

How long had they known one another? A matter of weeks, a couple of months at most, and yet Thor could hardly remember not having such a passionate lover in his life.

He was feeling greedy, gripping Loki's hips hard, making him squeal and laugh and moan, equally indulgent, pushing himself up onto one arm so he could stroke his cock with the other. Rushing a little, his body clenching hard around Thor's cock in just moments.

But he wasn't ready for this to be over so soon.

Thor grit his teeth, slowing to a stop as Loki spilled and panted, frowning over his shoulder.

"You've not... You're not done," he said.

"Can you go again?"

"What?"

Even as his body screamed at him, Thor withdrew, easing Loki onto his back, all flushed cheeks and shining, looking completely confused.

He hissed as Thor took his softened cock in hand, stroking lightly but even that gentle touch almost too much.

"I'm not sure I can," he said. "I don't mind you finishing, it won't take long."

"Well. Be patient. Even though you're not terribly good at that."

Loki seemed thoroughly unconvinced but settled himself more comfortably, curious, it seemed.

"We can stop if it's painful," Thor said.

"I'm a little sensitive, but it's fine. And I've enjoyed your little experiments before. I expect I shall enjoy this one too."

It took a while, but eventually his cock began to stir once more, unable to resist Thor's careful ministrations, his chest heaving.

"Alright?"

"It's a lot, but I can take it."

"Of course you can," Thor said, finally crawling over his body, kissing him deeply. "I know you can."

He wasted no time in sliding back inside, tighter now, seeking the right place within Loki's body, slightly concerned by the yelp he let out.

"Too much?"

"No, keep going... It's good, keep going."

He was so over-sensitive, wide-eyed but clinging onto his shoulders, like he might burst at any second, letting Thor stroke his cock hard and fast.

"Don't stop," he whispered. "If you stop, I'll... Ah! Ah-ah... I'll curse your very bones."

It took every ounce of self-control in Thor's body not to spill until Loki was shaking in his arms, finding a second climax that he'd thought impossible. Only then did he finally let go and allow himself to finish, collapsing in a warm heap.

"How was that?" he asked.

"Oh, you're dangerous..." Loki murmured. "You're going to turn me into an insatiable monster."

"You're already an insatiable monster."

"Well, then you'll make me even worse."

It was nice to lie together for a while, getting their breath back. Thor wouldn't have minded if Loki had stayed the night even, but he knew better than to ask. And in time, Loki got up, cleaning himself off with simple waves of his hands and getting dressed.

"I'll try to find out what this magic in you might be," he said. "And I'll try to talk to my mother too. You're right. A direct approach is best."

Thor gazed at him longingly.

"When will I see you again?"

"Don't know. Depends how busy I am, I suppose. Why? Are you planning to be away?"

"No, no. I'm having a little business trouble. I think a man I've snubbed is sending agents to spy on me. It's probably just my imagination. Just... don't sneak up on me next time. I'm nervous."

"Well, that's just begging for me to sneak up on you, Thor..."

He was joking. Maybe.

Thor certainly hoped so.


	25. Chapter 25

Loki almost flowed home, his bones and muscles more or less liquid. He'd feel it in the morning, probably, but for now he simply went unseen through the city and into his rooms.

Where his uncle was sitting, watching for the door opening. Waiting for him to arrive.

Slipping off his invisibility spell, Loki folded his arms in the doorway.

"Oh, don't worry," he said icily. "Please, make yourself at home."

"Where have you been?"

Loki hesitated and elected to be truthful. With omissions, of course.

"I've been above ground," he said. "I've been human-watching. They're such odd creatures. Very simple and yet they achieve so much."

"Well, don't get too attached to any of them. Humans die young. Unless you feed them, of course, and sometimes even then."

"Why are you here?" Loki asked, well and truly bristling. "What couldn't wait until the morning?"

He sighed, sitting forward, hands clasped between his knees.

"Your mother is clearly worried about something, but she's not talking to me about it. I wondered if she'd said anything to you."

Loki shrugged.

"If she doesn't want to tell you something, I'm sure she has her reasons for it."

"I am her brother as well as her advisor. I worry about her. It has been my whole life to help her and look out for her. It's very disconcerting to know that I am being shut out of something. It's strange to think that she might not trust me."

A little disconcerted himself, Loki poured a couple of sparkling fruit syrups, handing one over. This was just about reassurance.

"She does trust you. Of course she does. But that does not mean you can know everything. She has an internal life, after all. Private matters. She must do. You must have some things you keep from her too."

"No. Nothing."

"Really? No... affairs or vices?"

"None. Romance has never held much fascination for me. And my vices are few in number and easily managed."

"Well... Well, I'm sure she knows what she's doing. She'll probably tell you, in time."

"So you don't know what it is?"

"No. No idea."

He was lying again, just a little, but his loyalty was to his mother first too. If she didn't want Uncle to know then Loki certainly wasn't going to tell him behind her back.

"I was... worried that she might be ill, you know," his uncle said.

Well, this was a turn up for the books, wasn't it? Different information but they'd come to the same conclusion.

"Really?" Loki asked. "Why? Have you noticed something?"

"Not exactly. I was just trying to think of things she might want to hide."

"Do you think she should see a doctor? Just as a precaution, of course."

"Perhaps. But you know how she is. She won't go willingly."

No, no. This was perfect. What an excuse - his uncle had realised something was going on so to placate him, she had to visit the healers. And Loki's own worries never had to be revealed at all. Marvellous.

"I'll talk to her," he said, like it was a favour. "It will be better coming from me perhaps."

"Would you? I think you're right, that would be best. And after all, it's probably nothing."

"Indeed."

They never spent time together alone. This was awkward and Loki was more than a little grateful when his uncle finished his drink and stood up to leave.

"You know I'm here for you if you ever need advice, don't you?" he asked.

"Of course."

"Good. Well. Goodnight, Loki."

Loki closed the door and leant against it, letting out a long exhale. That had gone well but it was still not the evening he had anticipated. It was good that he'd cleaned himself up before coming home or he'd still be smelling of Thor.

And Thor was being very cryptic with him too with all this talk of businessmen and agents spying on him. He'd seemed troubled, but he also hadn't really talked about it properly. Adding to that this strange magic in him...

This affair was becoming more and more complex and with anyone else, Loki might simply move on. The things Thor did to him though... Mmm... Much too good to give up just like that.

He went to bed, predictably waking with a degree of stiffness, and elected to take breakfast with his mother. Get such an unpleasant task out of the way.

She was surprised but not unhappy to see him, sipping green tea beneath her eternally blossoming cherry tree, petals occasionally falling around her.

"You look like there's something on your mind," she said.

"Uncle came to see me last night," Loki said. "He knows you're hiding something from him."

"What did you tell him?"

"That if you were then no doubt there would be good reason for it. But he suggested that perhaps it was something to do with your health and I said I would speak to you. Maybe you could... undergo some tests. Just for his peace of mind, of course."

"I don't need any tests. I'm perfectly well."

"No, I know, but I think if you had some done it might make him feel better, that's all. He's your brother. He worries about you."

Was he laying it on too thickly? Was he about to be seen through and his own worries laid bare?

"Well," she said, sounding a little reluctant. "I suppose it won't do me any harm. Anyway, what are your plans for today, up and about so early?"

"Me? Oh, you know. The usual. Might go to the library."

"Anything interesting?"

"Not in particular."

Now was not the time to arouse suspicion by mentioning his burgeoning interest in human magic after all.


	26. Chapter 26

After his days of thinking he was being watched, Thor was now fairly certain that he wasn't just imagining it. This was definitely happening.

He saw the woman when he got up and opened his curtains, and she was still there when he'd had breakfast and heated his laundry water, ready to clean the ash off the cotton sheets. She had dark hair, warm brown skin, and she was pretending merely to be out walking but not doing a terribly convincing job of it.

Should he just go and talk to her? Maybe it would put them off if they knew he had spotted them...

He dumped everything into the wash tub and sauntered round to the front of the cottage, waving as he made his way down the path.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully. "Just to let you know I'll be round the back for a while so it's going to be quite boring out here. If you wanted a break for breakfast, now would be a good time."

She looked a little bit panicked, wide eyed, but she quickly recovered herself.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," she said. "I'm just here to do my daily exercise."

"Up and down outside the same house all morning?"

"I am not from around here and I fear getting lost if I venture too far from the town. I didn't mean to bother you."

This little battle of wits was quite fun, but all the same, Thor didn't like being taken for a fool.

"Listen to me," he said. "The land is not for sale. I don't know why Mr Thanos thinks he can intimidate me, but you should let him know he's wasting his time."

She frowned at him, genuinely now.

"Who is this Thanos?"

Ah. Hm...

"He... He didn't send you?"

"I've never heard that name before. Really."

"Then why are you spying on me?"

She wasn't talking. They watched each other for a moment. Thor believed that she didn't know Thanos though. And there was no one else he thought actually meant him harm, assuming Thanos might mean him harm rather than just trying to bully him out of his home.

"Do you want a cup of tea?" he asked. "You've been out here all morning."

She seemed suspicious, but followed him up the path anyway, looking around the cottage curiously. She seemed almost unimpressed really, testing his kitchen chair with her hand before sitting in it in a swirl of skirts.

"So who do you work for?" he asked, boiling the kettle. "It's not Thanos, so that narrows it down somewhat. Is it my father? Has he sent you to look for me? Because I'm not coming back and he can't make me."

"I don't know your father except by sight. This is a test and I intend to pass it."

"What kind of test? And who for?"

She still didn't seem to want to tell him. But then again, there were very few people it could be.

"Well, if you don't know my father, then it's unlikely you know my mother," Thor said carefully. "Which means you're probably employed by my sister, yes?"

The lack of denial told him he was on the right track. But why was Hela looking for him? Just to know where he was, just in case of emergencies or somesuch?

"I'm not coming back on her say-so either," he said.

"She doesn't want you to. She just wanted to know if I could find you."

"Why?"

"She's looking to her future. She has a mind to develop a group of seekers, like detectives. Finding missing people, stolen objects, investigating new contacts. That kind of thing."

Hmm. It certainly sounded like something Hela would enjoy. She liked knowing all the secrets in any given room.

"So finding me is some kind of... audition?"

"You could call it that, yes."

It had given him something of an idea though. After all, he had an enemy these days who he knew precious little about. This could be useful.

"So if I paid you, I could get information?" he asked.

"Nothing too private - Hela is very keen that we mustn't actually break the law - but yes. She's thinking to target the parents of heiresses who might want potential suitors checked for scandals. Something about a recent engagement that went sour."

Thor resisted the urge to roll his eyes. There hadn't been an engagement, as Hela well knew! Not publicly anyway.

"How much?" he asked. "What are your fees?"

"I'm not sure. If you wrote a proposal, I'm sure she could provide you with a quote."

Hmm. Thor finished making the tea, placing a cup in front of her and sitting down.

"So, how did you find me?" he asked.

"Hela had some ideas. I've tried a few other towns, asked if there were any newcomers and found nothing. But here, there was a lot of gossip. Someone new, moving into a haunted house."

"It's not haunted. It's just old."

"And so I came to see if you matched the description. I had to be sure. And I had to have evidence. That was my problem. I knew it was you but I wasn't sure how to get something to prove I had seen you. I couldn't break into your house, I couldn't steal a letter or anything... I was thinking perhaps to deliver something and ask you to sign for it, but I thought you would be suspicious."

Yes, that would be tricky...

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Brunnhilde."

Was that the truth? Maybe, maybe not. It didn't really matter.

"Well, Brunnhilde, I think I have an idea to solve both our problems."

He fetched his pot of ink and pen from the sideboard, finding a piece of paper - and he'd need more soon. He hadn't expected to be writing any letters at all really.

_Dear Hela_

_Well, she found me. An asset to your little project. I'm sure I can trust you not to betray me to our father. Or my mother._

_I really hope I can trust you with what I'm about to ask._

_I have found myself at loggerheads with a landowner named Thanos. I'll send the address with your diligent agent. Could you please look into him for me? Just his age, his business interests, perhaps how worried I ought to be to have attracted his ire. Some of the locals are nervous about him._

_I'd be very grateful._

_Your brother,_

_Thor_


	27. Chapter 27

_In modern times, experimentation on humans has been severely limited,_ Loki read. _There has been some unpleasantness between the two species within the last five hundred years and approaching humans is to be undertaken with extreme caution (see Chapter Five: Human Contact). Ingredients or other materials from their domain should be gathered in darkness if at all possible to prevent detection or in the very earliest hours of the morning._

_Along with a generally faint level of natural magic, some humans are excellent detectors and most readily absorb magic, especially in the form of food; extended lifespans and greater sensory strength are amongst the known effects, but some humans have adverse reactions such as aches and pains or becoming trapped on one side of world boundaries. Needless to say, accidentally trapping a human in our realm can be extremely dangerous._

Ah. Oh, dear.

Loki tried looking elsewhere for further information, but it was generally from rather older books. He wasn't sure if he trusted them not to be horribly outdated.

He'd given Thor food. Of course he had. He'd kept him for a week, he'd had to feed him. It hadn't occurred to him that it might be dangerous.

Could that be what was causing the anomaly to surge and fall? It wasn't just that Thor had been in their kingdom but he had consumed something from it, something inherently magical. Their magic was within his body, part of him, and that didn't go only one way. He was part of the very fabric of the kingdom now, an unexpected thread caught up in the tapestry and almost impossible to remove.

Right. Right, he could fix this. Somehow. Maybe.

He'd fed Thor while he was here and then he'd taken him breakfast once, but that was all. So all he had to do was not give him any more food and the anomaly would resolve itself, surely.

And with any luck, Thor would not suffer any side effects to speak of.

Loki felt like he barely ate himself, pacing around in a complex whirl of guilt and worry, being summoned down to the infirmary to witness his mother's tests.

She still seemed rather irritated about the whole thing, sitting with her arms folded while healers cast strong detection spells on her, gold and silver lights tracing her body.

"We can't... see anything strange, your Majesty," one of them said. "Have you had any particular symptoms?"

"I have been a little tired, that's all. But I often am. I don't think it's anything to be concerned about."

Loki's uncle stood in the shadows, looking deeply concerned, tapping his fingers against his own arms.

"Laufey. May I?" he asked.

"If you insist."

He cast his own spell, stronger than the healers' but not as refined, frowning lightly. But they wouldn't have missed anything. They were the best.

"Satisfied?" his mother asked. "I am quite well. You two just worry too much."

"It's my job to worry about you. And you can't deny that you have been exhausted lately. Let us take more responsibility if you need to."

The three of them made their way back to her office, the mirror gently swirling. If Loki concentrated, he could just about find the little bump that was the anomaly. Like a graze that had almost healed.

He ought to establish for sure that it was definitely his doing really. Just to be absolutely certain before he let his guard down.

"I have a little experiment that I'd like to do before court," he said. "Could I be excused?"

"Nothing bad or reckless, I hope," his mother twinkled at him.

"Mm. Potentially both but with good outcomes."

She laughed and waved him off, letting him head for the kitchens. He just wanted something small to feed Thor to see if the oddity would flare and then he'd know. And surely the smaller it was, the less trouble it would cause. That made sense.

Grapes. Little plump purple grapes. Perfect.

Anyone watching him might have been confused by how nervous he seemed, nervous and eager, hurrying out to the boundary and passing into the bright world above.

Once he'd stopped being dazzled by the sun, he found Thor doing laundry, shirtless and wet, looking thoroughly enticing.

Now, now... There was an important reason for coming up here...

He was singing softly to himself, not noting Loki's approach, the perfect chance to sneak up on him...

A loud footfall? A strange shadow? Whatever it was, Thor noticed him, turning in a panic and then relenting immediately.

"Didn't expect to see you so soon," he said. "I'm a little busy just at this moment, I'm afraid."

"That's alright," Loki said, sitting on an upturned bucket. "I don't mind watching. You were engaged in something rather similar when I first started to desire you."

Thor chuckled, swirling the water, trying to clean those poor abused sheets.

"When you first decided to have your way with me?"

"Well, excuse me, but it seems from my perspective that it's normally you getting your way."

"What absolute nonsense. I'm at your beck and call. You show up when you want to and I just wait for your favour."

"As it should be."

Chilling the grapes with a wave of his hand, Loki plucked one and slipped it into his mouth, watching how Thor watched him. Mm. Perfect.

He stood up and approached, picking another one and holding it in his mouth, leaning down to Thor's level and bringing their mouths together, deftly slipping the grape between Thor's lips with his tongue.

Thor let out a light moan as he chewed and swallowed.

"This is a dangerous game you're playing," he said. "An uncouth man like me could have... thoughts."

"What kind of thoughts?"

"Thoughts of grabbing you and having you right here in the dirt, under the open sky."

"Hmm..." Loki said, eating another grape. "Well, now I'm thinking about that too."

Thor sloshed the sheets against the washboard, nearly finished if Loki was any judge.

"And what's your opinion on such a thought?" he asked.

"It sounds rough and crude and absolutely delectable and I therefore want you to thoroughly ravish me."

Thor laughed, the sound echoing slightly.

"Well, let me finish up here and I'll see what I can do," he said. "And you might need to work a little magic to ensure no one hears your cries but me."

"You're very confident."

"I think I have a right to be, don't you?"

Oh, this was infuriating suddenly, tension bubbling under Loki's skin as he watched Thor hang the sheets, a neat square, almost like a room but with an earth floor and an endless blue ceiling.

"Alright," Thor said. "Come here."

"No," Loki said, pushing a second grape into Thor's mouth - just to be extra sure. "You said you were going to grab me and have me. I would like to be grabbed and had, please."

There was a twinkle in Thor's eye as he planted his feet, waiting for Loki to try to dodge him, lunging only for Loki to dance away out of his grasp.

But not for long, of course. He wanted to be caught, after all, letting Thor seize him about the middle and wrestle him to the floor, pinning him on his stomach and nosing at his hair, inhaling the scent of him almost like an animal.

"Alright?" he murmured.

"Mm... If I want you to stop, I'll tell you."

"Good."

Thor hauled his hips upwards, reaching round to find the fastenings on his trousers, undoing them and yanking them down just enough, a cool breeze sending goosebumps over his exposed skin, almost yelping at the touch of two fingers against his hole.

"Come on, Loki. You're ready for this. I can feel it. You want it."

He was so aggravating sometimes, but as Loki conjured up enough oil to drip onto the ground and felt the steady, wonderful press of being filled, he found he really didn't care.


	28. Chapter 28

Never in his wildest fantasies of outdoor sex - which admittedly was an idea that had played an unusually large role in his adolescent imaginings - had Thor ever thought that one day he might really have the chance. Especially not with a man.

And now here he was, pressing against Loki's skin, buried deep within his tight little hole with the sun shining upon them, the birds singing, the wind gently wafting through his freshly laundered sheets.

"You're incredible," he breathed.

"This doesn't feel much like ravishing yet," Loki said, his voice slightly thick with desire. "I didn't work these silencing spells for nothing, I hope."

Always so quick to challenge, always so keen... Thor could work with it, of course, starting to thrust, shallow and quick, really just enjoying himself. Beautiful day, beautiful man - lovely. And Loki at least let out some reactions, clearly trying to hold back but not quite managing it.

And when Thor found a better angle...

"Ah! Ah, yes... Yes, yes, there, just there... Ooh..."

He was a simple man sometimes. He liked knowing that his cock and his skills could satisfy, trying to go harder and faster, trying to make Loki moan all the more.

"Pull my hair."

"What?"

"Pull my hair!"

Rather uncertain, Thor took a large handful of Loki's tresses, carefully drawing back but feeling a distinctly good clench of muscles, one that had him bucking into Loki's body, using his other hand to grip his hip all the firmer.

"It doesn't hurt?" he asked breathlessly.

"Good hurt," Loki panted. "Come on, fuck me."

Well, alright. He eased Loki back into an arch, marvelling at him, pounding into him hard, just as he wanted.

"Don't stop. I'm close."

Maybe another time, he would have stopped just to be contrary, but that wasn't today's game. They were playing at being rougher than usual, Thor letting out something like a growl and redoubling his efforts, Loki crying out.

God, he hoped the silencing spells were working...

He felt Loki's climax in his bones, the way he shook and twitched irresistible, pulling Thor along with him immediately, the two of them gasping for breath afterwards.

"Suitably ravished?" Thor asked, stroking his scalp.

"Mm..." Loki said. "We should do this kind of thing again some time. Maybe next time I'll capture you and ride you all night."

Starting to put himself back together, Thor had an idea. It had been playing around at the back of his mind for a little while, but it had finally formed into being able to ask.

"Your little... preparatory trick," he said, helping Loki up. "Can you work it on other people?"

Loki hauled his trousers back up, grinning at him.

"Ooh," he said. "I hadn't known you were interested in switching positions."

"I've been known to, from time to time. If you wanted to, of course."

"Well, generally I prefer being filled, but there's a lot to be said for variety. I bet you're so tight and warm inside."

"I've never had any complaints," Thor said, trying not to blush despite all they'd done together, like the ground wasn't splashed with spend right now. "I can't go as rough as you can though."

"Don't worry. I'll be very, very gentle. Next time, maybe. I have things I need to do this week so I'm not sure when I'll be back."

"I'll try to cope."

He was going for joking, but apparently it came out rather more wistfully because Loki laughed and kissed him and told him he was ridiculous before heading up to the barrow and vanishing.

There was always a moment after Loki had left that Thor wondered if he really was just imagining it all. Maybe he had hit his head at some point and it made him conjure up the most perfect, beautiful man.

After all, no one else ever saw him or spoke to him...

Well, no matter. If he was going to imagine things, there were far worse options.

Loki's grape stem lay by the wash tub, tangible evidence that he had been there. Thor had the strangest desire to keep it. Put it on the windowsill and just look at it from time to time.

Ridiculous. If he really wanted some little trinket, he could ask for one like a grown man.

A lock of his dark hair maybe...

He shouldn't turn this into something it wasn't though. They just had fun together. He wasn't even getting the magic he was supposedly trading in return.

It would never work, for one thing. Loki was over two hundred years old and lived underground and would be king of the fae one day. Whereas he had, what? Thirty or forty years left? And he was going to age too.

No. Enjoy it while it lasted. Count your blessings.

The world seemed brighter all the same. He felt invigorated somehow.

And he was going to get ready to plant some cabbages.


	29. Chapter 29

Alright, so Loki had been slightly sidetracked, but he'd achieved his goal of giving Thor a little fae food to see what effect it would have.

He made his way to his mother's office, trying not to look like he was hurrying, relieved to find it empty. She'd be at court. Frankly, he ought to be there too, but he'd just have to be slightly late. What a shame.

He approached the mirror with suitable reverence, reaching out to it, gritting his teeth against the discomfort. He got the oddest feeling that it didn't like him somehow, or that it didn't trust him. But he was in charge here. He was doing this for the kingdom's own good.

Yes, there it was. And it was definitely worse than yesterday. All swollen up like a bruise.

Well, good. That was what he wanted to see because then he could stop it and...

"What are you doing?"

Loki looked up and tried not to look guilty.

"Nothing, Uncle," he said. "Just... checking something."

"Why? What have you done?"

Oh, typical...

"Why must you assume that I've done something?"

"Because I know you, Loki. You get bored and you get up to mischief and then suddenly you're in over your head. And I will find out what it is eventually so you might as well tell me now."

"It's nothing," Loki said, subtly moving away from the mirror. "I was just checking the progress from last night's promenade, that's all. I'm trying to take more responsibility and gain greater understanding, like you're always saying I should."

"I'll tell your mother."

"Tell her what? That we're both horribly late for court? I quite agree."

"Loki," he said, catching his wrist as he tried to leave. "I'm not your enemy. I want to help you. Truly."

"I don't need help."

"Fine. Well, when whatever this is goes horribly wrong, just know that I will be unbearably smug as I help you clean it up."

They entered the council room side by side, getting a look of some confusion from everyone assembled, one of the advisors pausing mid-sentence.

"Is everything alright, darling?" his mother asked, not even looking up from her notes.

"Perfectly," Loki said, taking his place by her side.

"Really?" she said, like she didn't believe that for a second. "Well, whatever it is, we can discuss it afterwards."

How did she manage to make such a simple sentence sound so much like a threat? He would have to learn how to do that. It seemed very useful.

He shuffled lightly in the hard chair. Suddenly having had Thor be rough with him wasn't quite as good an idea as it had seemed at the time.

And the promise of changing things up next time... Well, it was very enticing. He really was lucky that Thor had been the one who bought the cottage rather than anyone else. And that they'd come to their little arrangement.

He more or less slept through the session, just being present, knowing that he was going to be given quite the talking to afterwards.

"So," his mother sighed, the room rapidly emptying. "What are you looking so pleased about?"

"I have worked out the source of the anomaly and while you'll notice that it has become slightly worse, it will soon subside."

"Excellent. What was it?"

"Uh... Doesn't matter."

"Loki. This has been causing me sleepless nights. What was it?"

"It was a minor accident, that's all. Nothing worth making a fuss over."

"Oh, I see. It was your fault, then?"

"What? Mother!"

She waved him off, still looking a little tired.

"I'll find out what it was eventually," she said. "I always do. I'd advise you to spend the intervening time getting your story straight."

Maybe she was right. But no one had any reason to know. He could keep his affair quiet, hide it, and no one would know. The anomaly would subside by itself now he knew how to prevent it flaring and Thor seemed more or less unharmed by the whole thing. It would all be absolutely fine.

It wasn't like Thor was suddenly going to work out how to pass between their worlds or anything, was it?


	30. Chapter 30

"Mr Odinson? Mr Odinson, we have an urgent telegram for you."

It must have been urgent for Sif to be here so early. Thor pulled on a dressing gown and hurried down the stairs, slightly embarrassed to be seen not properly dressed.

"A telegram?" he asked. "From whom?"

"A Miss Hela Odinson. Your sister perhaps? She's not... exactly complimentary, I'm afraid."

Thor took the paper from her, the neat little stamped letters there.

_YOU FOOL STOP HE IS HER FATHER STOP LETTER TO FOLLOW STOP_

Oh. Oh, dear.

"What does it mean?" Sif asked. "I'm sorry to pry and I'm sure it's none of my business, but..."

"Mr Thanos, does he... have any children?" Thor asked.

"I... Er, yes, I believe so. Two adopted daughters."

Ah, adopted... Possibly with different surnames and that was why he hadn't made the connection. No one had ever told him the father's name. And, of course, had he known who owned the village, he would never have come here in a thousand years.

"I believe I'm technically engaged to one of them," he said, Sif's confusion visibly growing by the second. "That's why I'm hiding here. I don't wish to marry. I, uh... I think I may have made a terrible mistake."

"What are you going to do?"

It hadn't quite hit him yet. He felt rather cold and his thinking was slow. Was this what a real shock felt like?

"I'm not sure," he said. "Um... Right. Well, I suppose I'll get dressed for one thing. If that letter arrives in the later post, would you mind terribly bringing it to me? I'll pay extra for the delivery, of course."

"But what are you going to do? He's... He's a dangerous man and if you've insulted his daughter..."

"Well, he's had some weeks of knowing where I am and hasn't come yet. If he is planning some kind of revenge against me, there's nothing to say it will happen today. I'm going to... prepare, I suppose."

"How?"

"I'll think of something."

He had no idea what he would think of. Something. He couldn't be forced into marriage against his will. And he couldn't be forced to sell his land.

But he could be physically harmed and so could the house and, more importantly, the barrow. That was his primary concern. He wasn't totally sure how the fae realm was connected to his field, but the mound was clearly important. He needed to warn them somehow, but he was at the mercy of Loki coming to see him and that might be days or even weeks away.

Maybe if he made a lot of noise or something they would come up to see what was happening?

"Is there a solicitor in town?" he asked.

"Not resident here but my brother has some knowledge of the law."

"Then I'd better see him I think."

He got dressed and scrawled a message for Loki on the off-chance that he should drop by - _Barrow in danger maybe, sorry, be prepared just in case_ \- and headed off to join Sif on her way back to the post office.

"Do you really think I might be at risk?" he asked.

"There are certainly... rumours. I'm not sure how much store to put in them personally but, well... People who cross him have a habit of moving on. And those who don't move on..."

"What?"

"Well, there are a lot of accidents. Fires and falls..."

"Accidents that might not be accidents?"

"Well, nothing that could ever be proven, but there have been more than I would think is the average number for an area of this size. Thanos is shrewd and sneaky and never gets his own hands dirty. How are you engaged to his daughter without ever meeting him?"

"My father organised it against my will. A business transaction. I barely knew her name, let alone his."

"Well, surely that can't be legal. Heimdall will help you, I'm sure."

He seemed more baffled that they had come to him in the first place.

"I'm not a real lawyer," he kept saying. "If you agreed to marry the girl then you may be in breach of some kind of contract."

"But I didn't agree. My father agreed, but I didn't. And I am in my majority. Surely I have the right to refuse."

"Of course, but unfortunately I'm not sure there's anything illegal in trying to bully one's child into marriage. And trying to prove that Thanos is trying to force you from your farm is similarly difficult. Why do you think we try so hard to warn people away from it? We don't want him to buy Yowtonhame either. We'd buy it ourselves if we could just to protect its historical significance."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You're from the city," Sif said quietly. "We thought you might be like him. Or even one of his agents before we got to know you better."

Hmm. That made sense, he supposed.

"I won't give up the land," Thor said. "It's important."

"And we'll do all we can to help," Heimdall said. "But our powers are limited."

"All the same, I'm glad to know I have allies. My sister will help too and her friends. And I just have to focus on not having an untimely accident, right?"

"Please be careful," Sif said.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine."

Especially since he had the supernatural on his side.

He made his way home, finding it undisturbed. Right. Time to try to get Loki's attention. Maybe he could cast some protective spells or whatnot. His home was at risk too, after all.

The entrance to his world was at one end of the barrow, or so Thor thought anyway. They must be able to hear him through it.

Oh, he felt ridiculous standing alone in his field talking to no one.

"Um... Hello? Hello, can you hear me? If you can, I need to speak to Prince Loki urgently. Very urgently."

Nothing. Of course there was nothing. You probably had to be magic to make it work. And he was barely magical at all according to Loki.

All the same, he waved his hand through the air, he crouched and poked around, just trying to find the place where he could pass through. An invisible door. Or like a veil. People talked about the veil between the worlds, didn't they?

He must have spent almost half an hour trying to find it before an arm appeared in midair and dragged him through.

An arm that definitely didn't belong to Loki.


	31. Chapter 31

"Loki! Loki, get out here right now! This instant!"

Despite being a grown man, the sound of his uncle yelling at him was still enough to make Loki's blood run cold, his pen skittering off the edge of his page of council notes. Oh, no.

"What have you done?" his mother asked calmly.

"Nothing!"

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

The doors of the chamber banged open, a furious face on the other side of them, a shaky finger pointing right at him.

"Dungeon. Now!"

Maintaining all the dignity he could muster and managing not to flush a deep shade of scarlet, Loki strode out of the room, his coat billowing slightly behind him, getting seized around the upper arm and half dragged down the corridor beyond.

"I knew you were selfish, Loki. I knew you were spoiled, even. But I never in ten-thousand years would have thought you'd ever be this stupid."

Loki genuinely had no idea what he was talking about, until he was pushed into the main prison block and spotted a familiar blonde head. Thor. Thor was down here. But how? Had Uncle gone up and taken him? Why? Everything was under control!

"Explain yourself."

"I've never seen this man before in my life," Loki said immediately.

"Really? That's very odd, because he seems to know you. We found him almost through the border, talking about needing to see Prince Loki immediately."

Thor didn't seem to mind being glared at. Didn't he know the first rule of getting away with things?! Never tell people what you've been doing!

"I'm sorry," Thor said, his hands spread wide in surrender. "But I needed to warn you that I am potentially in trouble and I am concerned for the safety of the barrow. Can you work... some kind of protection spell?"

"There are already protection spells," his uncle said icily. "You should not have been able to affect our realm on your own at all, so it seems that someone has been feeding a human."

Loki got the feeling his innocent face wasn't totally convincing anymore. Right. Damage control.

"I may have accidentally allowed a little of our food to fall into a human's mouth, but I will be very careful from now on," he said.

"But the damage is done, Loki! The magic is in him! His lifespan will have been extended, his senses permanently altered."

"Is that all? That's nothing. I thought you meant it was something bad."

"You cannot just introduce a new element to the kingdom without the proper preparations. Who knows what damage you could have done? Not just to him but to the very fabric of our realm."

"But I didn't cause any damage! There was a very, very small anomaly, but I worked out what was causing it and now it will resolve. There is no harm done. And maybe if I was actually warned about these effects, I would have known not to do it."

"You shouldn't need to know the precise reasons not to meddle with things!"

"Excuse me," Thor said. "How long exactly am I going to live?"

He seemed... upset. Loki didn't understand. Surely this was a gift. Human lifespans were so terribly short, after all.

"When your mother finds out about this..." his uncle began.

"What?" Loki asked. "She wanted the barrow protected and I have done that. We have an arrangement - Thor has sworn to defend and protect the barrow. And now he'll even live longer, better able to keep it safe."

"Loki, will you please stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Thor said. "Are you going to keep me imprisoned? I'm... I'm expecting a letter."

Loki had a finger pointed directly under his nose and only just resisted the urge to nudge it away.

"You know how dangerous this is, Loki. You know that humans cannot know about us. Do you want to be put in an iron cage and used for human whims? Because that is what happens when you deal with humans."

"Not all of them. I trust Thor, completely. And he won't tell anyone."

"You can't know that! Your own father..."

He tailed off suddenly, leaving Loki frowning at him in confusion.

"What about my father?"

There was a horrible pause, some of the chill leaving the room. He'd spoken by mistake, it seemed.

"You should talk to your mother about it. And she should never have put you in charge of a boundary."

He moved as though to leave, making Loki stand in his way.

"I hate to pull rank, Uncle, but as a prince I must insist that my human friend is released and returned to the surface realm immediately. He has warned us of potential danger and we will be prepared for trouble. Regardless of what else happens, he should be back above ground."

For a moment he thought this might all be about to go wrong, but then the dungeon door clicked open, an extremely strong holding spell dissipating into the air.

"Take him back, then. And then brace yourself because your mother is going to be furious."

Yes. Yes, she was, wasn't she?

"Come on," Loki said to Thor. "You can fill me in on the way."


	32. Chapter 32

Even though he'd been to the fae realm before, it had been a rather more unpleasant experience being grabbed by Loki's... uncle? Uncle, he was fairly sure.

He'd been yanked through into relative darkness, stumbling to the ground and then vines had sprouted all around him, lashing his feet together and binding his wrists, trying to speak only to find one snaking over and into his mouth, gagging him. And then he was pulled deeper, carried further underground, his screams muffled, dragged through several feet of soil and deposited in the prison cell in a manner of moments. Only then had the vines released him, allowing him to protest that he was a friend of Prince Loki's, that he came with a warning.

And now he'd found out that his very being had been changed without his permission, without his knowing...

"How much longer will I live?" he asked Loki as they made their way through the fae city, turned invisible like the first time he'd made his journey.

"I don't know. I didn't know it would happen. But it's a good thing, right? You humans have such short lives."

"But that's exactly my point. Potentially, I'm going to see everyone I've ever known and loved grow old and die."

"Well, that's life, isn't it?"

"But not everyone. Not all of them. What if it's decades? What if it's centuries?"

The idea of it terrified him in a way he couldn't define. And Loki didn't seem to understand.

"You shouldn't have come down here," he was saying. "Do you have any idea how much of a headache this is going to be for me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Thor said. "I thought maybe you'd like to know that I'm facing threats to my home and my life that might affect you and your people too. The man who wants to buy my land is potentially dangerous. I may not be able to protect the barrow."

"You could have told me the next time I came to see you."

"Which might have been too late! I was trying to help."

Loki took him back above ground, looking a little bit sheepish perhaps.

"I'll do... damage control down there," he said. "And I will find out exactly what eating magical food might have done to you. And if you're really in as much danger as you say... Well, try to be careful. You're the most fun I've had in ages."

That was probably as close as he was going to get to admitting that they might be friends.

"Thank you," Thor said. "And I'm sorry for... barging in like that. I hope it doesn't cause you too much trouble."

"As long as they don't ban me from coming up here completely, I'll be fine. I'd hate to lose access to you. Mainly your cock, of course."

Why did he have to be like that? Thor chuckled and figured that, well, he might as well play too, if that's what they were doing.

"Anyone would think you were angling for a quick fuck just in case it was your last chance," he said.

Loki looked at him with a look he couldn't quite define. He wasn't sure what it meant. And then he shrugged, like he couldn't care less.

"Well, since I am here..." he said.

It was practically the only way they could communicate, Thor felt. For now, at least.

He took Loki's hand and led him inside quickly, aware that they didn't have all day.

"How do you want this?" he asked.

"Normally I'd say hard and fast, but I suppose I ought to be able to walk without too much of a limp. Sit down and I'll handle everything."

Sitting in what he hoped was the sturdiest chair, the curtains hurriedly drawn and his cock only just out of his trousers, Thor was completely at Loki's mercy, straddling him and taking him into his body in one smooth motion, both of them moaning at it.

The way he moved, so fast, no teasing but just a rush towards climax... Thor wanted to slow down, wanted to enjoy it for longer, but he could more or less only hold on as Loki bounced in his lap, completely in control in a way they didn't normally play but which he was all too happy to go along with, just marvelling at this perfect being.

But he could kiss at least. He could try to convey some of his worries, some of his fear in that, feeling the slight vibrations of Loki's moans against his lips as his movements grew more desperate, letting Thor stroke his cock until he spilled.

Another shirt needing washed...

"You don't have to," Thor said as he began moving again, trying to finish him off. "I can handle myself."

"I want to," Loki panted. "I want to feel you deep inside me all day, remember exactly how this feels. Mm..."

He knew exactly the kind of thing to say to draw Thor over the edge, clenching his muscles, biting his lip.

"Come on, give it to me. I want to feel it. I love feeling how much you want me."

As if Thor could resist, pulling Loki in for a few more kisses before he stood up, cleaning their skin with a wave of his hand and getting dressed.

"I do... care about you, you know," Loki said awkwardly.

"Yeah," Thor said. "I care about you too."

"Right. Well, good. I'll be back soon, hopefully. Be careful."

"Yes."

Thor watched him go with a pang of sadness. He'd be alone again now, just waiting for something bad to happen. And he didn't like having to wait. He itched to do things.

At least he remembered to do up his trousers before answering his door bell.


	33. Chapter 33

Loki had been in trouble before. He could hardly remember not being in trouble throughout his childhood if he was honest. But this was different and somehow worse. His mother wasn't angry as such. She wasn't disappointed, which could often be even more dreadful.

She was deeply, deeply afraid for him.

"How much has uncle told you?" he asked, sitting down opposite her, feeling deeply ashamed even though he wasn't sure why.

"He says you've befriended the human," she said softly. "That you've spoken to him. That the man appears to consider you friends."

"And what is so wrong about that?" Loki asked. "I negotiated with him. He is protecting the barrow for us far better than we could do alone."

"And what is he getting in return, Loki?"

Hesitating for a moment, Loki took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.

"I have helped him with his crops. Just a little. I like him. Aside from his help, it's useful for me to have someone to talk to away from all of... this. Someone who won't try to manipulate me or use my friendship to further their interests in court or report back to you."

"But, Loki, this is how it starts," she said, her voice cracking. "They start out harmless and friendly and then they get greedy and they want more and more. I tried so hard to make you hate them, to make sure you knew how dangerous they were. I thought your interest was just a passing whim, nothing serious."

"You told me nothing! If it was really so dangerous, why not just forbid me from going up there?"

"Because I know you and I know that if I told you not to do something that that would guarantee you would do it out of stubbornness."

Oh. Well. Maybe she had a point there.

He took her hand across the table, trying to maintain a little closeness.

"What's this about my father?" he asked. "Was he killed by humans?"

She let out a long exhale, her eyes closed.

"He might as well have been," she said. "Either way, we'll never see him again."

"Why? What happened to him?"

This was clearly painful and Loki didn't understand. The way he'd always understood it was that his father had been chosen for his magical prowess and might have been a friend but no more than that. There was no love there, he thought. And then... Well, he'd died. That was what they told him. And he hadn't thought too much about it.

"Your father was... fascinated by humans. He was very interested in how they lived almost without magic, how they built things and made their tools through fire and strength. He thought maybe we could learn from them somehow. And he befriended one. I don't really know the details, but... Well, he went from helping in little ways, assisting with crops to doing more and more and... And then, a few weeks after you were born, he did not come home. We sent search parties, but both he and his so-called friend had vanished. I fear that he was taken, held prisoner by a human to perform spells on command. He wouldn't be the first."

Loki was stunned. All this time, they'd lied to him. For years and years, they'd said he was dead, but they didn't actually know that...

"So he could still be out there?" he asked. "He could still be alive?"

"It's possible, but we have no way of finding him. He is gone and I have accepted that. And that's why I made it your role to keep the humans away, to avoid them at all costs. I wanted you to find them annoying and inconvenient, a distraction from whatever you really wanted to be doing. You can't interact with them. They are dangerous."

"Not Thor. He wouldn't do anything like that. He is a good man. And maybe he can even help, maybe he can find out who took my father and where they went..."

"It happened two hundred years ago. No human alive would recall now."

"But they keep records. I could ask him..."

"You are not going up there again, Loki! I will not lose you as well."

Trying to stay calm, Loki endeavoured to keep his voice down. Both of them losing their tempers wouldn't help anyone.

"I am perfectly safe," he said. "I know him well enough to know that."

"Do you? Are you sure you're not deluding yourself? You've convinced yourself that you are... What? Friends? Lovers?"

Loki knew his cheeks had gone rather pink, completely caught.

"It's just a bit of fun," he mumbled. "Thor will not harm me. He cares about me and the barrow too. He came to warn us of potential danger. Why do that if he's plotting against us?"

She shook her head, drawing her hand away.

"You cannot trust humans," she said.

"I trust this one. Why don't you meet him? Give him a chance? It might put your mind at ease."

The look she gave him was of shock. Of confusion.

"Meet a human? Go above ground?"

"Why not? I'm sure it will convince you that he really is on our side. He's... nice. I think you'd like him. And besides, he needs some tests. I did not know what effect giving him fae food would have and I don't have the skills to detect the changes."

She hesitated. He was appealing to her curiosity more than anything. Like him, she was very interested in knowing all about magic and how it worked. This was research in a relatively unexplored field. Maybe it would convince her.

"I will consider it," she said. "But apparently we need to prepare for a potential assault and I imagine that will take up most of my attention. In the meantime, consider yourself confined to the palace."

It was an unfair punishment, but then again, Loki knew it could have been much, much worse.

And he was still certain she'd come around, in time.


	34. Chapter 34

Thor had expected Sif with a letter from Hela. Instead, it was Brunnhilde, her agent, looking absolutely exhausted.

"Cup of tea?" he asked, letting her in.

"I have information for you," she said, laying down a messenger bag on his table. "I got the earliest train I could on very short notice. Everything's gotten rather intense all of a sudden."

He made tea and then began perusing all the papers that Hela had prepared for him. Folders and folders of them.

"This is... a lot," he said. "More than I expected."

"Mm. I believe Hela has been moderately suspicious about exactly where and how Mr Thanos has won his fortune for some time. He seems to be an unusually fortunate man, bouncing from industry to industry just accumulating capital in a rare manner. Little expertise in any particular field. And after your father organised the marriage, she grew only more suspicious."

There were newspaper cuttings of various legal wranglings he'd been involved with, a lot of litigation both for and against him. There were notes on a lot of them that would take him hours to look through. Pictures. Some of the two young women, one of whom he was supposed to marry.

"Which one is Gamora?" he asked.

"On the left."

Hm. He couldn't really get much of a sense of her. She seemed... poised. Pretty, very pretty. But with both her and the sister, there was a guarded air. Something about their bearing that made them seem almost... Well, not nervous. The opposite, in fact. Like they were ready for a fight somehow.

And beyond that, there were apparently unrelated documents. Reports of accidents, deaths. The kinds of things that Sif and Heimdall had been talking about. Thor couldn't see the connection, but apparently Hela could. She was trying to build a case or something.

"Can you... explain this to me?" he asked. "What was she doing?"

"I believe she was trying to find a way to undermine the forced marriage so that you might return and take over the factory."

"But I don't want it. She should have it."

"While you're out here, that's impossible. You'd need to inherit it and sign it over to her. Otherwise, I believe your father intends to sell it to Mr Thanos outright."

Normally, Thor wouldn't care, but the more he heard about this Thanos, the more certain he was that he shouldn't be in charge of something as important as the livelihoods of so many people.

"What exactly does she suspect him of?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. Underhand business practices for one. And maybe... Maybe murder. And yet, there's never been any real evidence of foul play. Deaths behind locked doors. Accidents that somehow seem contrived, but there's never enough to prove it. Still, it's very strange that everyone who gets in his way suffers."

Mm. It would be incredibly difficult to prove such things though.

"What does she propose I do, then?"

"Well, first of all, she asked me to tell you she thinks you're stupid."

"Yes, I'd got that. She's been telling me for years."

"And secondly, she recommends that you prepare to defend yourself while she comes up with a plan. Which is partially where I will come in."

Thor looked at her in surprise.

"I'm sorry?"

"I am to take a room at the guest house in town and make it my business to notice any newcomers or other suspicious activity. Consider yourself guarded."

"Oh, well, that's very kind of you, but..."

"You also do not have a say in the matter. I work for your sister, not for you."

Hm. Well, that was that, then.

"I suppose I ought to do my homework, then," Thor said. "See if I can come up with a scheme of some kind. Between all of us, I'm sure we'll get him."

And at least if he was worrying about immediate threats to his life, he wasn't worrying about potentially living for hundreds of years. Or about what Loki might be facing underground right at this very moment.

Presumably being seen by humans was forbidden, otherwise surely the fae would be here all the time. After all, they were magical. They could shrink and turn invisible and all manner of other tricks that would easily overpower most humans.

In fact, why hadn't they simply taken over the earth? Did they have some... weakness that could be exploited?

It would probably be quite threatening to ask that...

Right. No point in wondering about that for the moment. Time to read about his would-be father-in-law.


	35. Chapter 35

There had to be a way out of this. There had to be, Loki knew it. He just had to think.

There was no point in trying to sneak out of the palace. The guards would have been forbidden, in the strongest possible terms, to let anyone leave no matter who they appeared to be. No invisible escapes or disguising himself as someone else. No, what he needed was to get people on his side.

And by people, he of course meant his uncle.

The look he got when he arrived in the plush sitting room of the older prince was at least one of fond annoyance rather than outright anger. He'd cooled off somewhat. And Loki put down the fine bottle of honey wine that he'd brought as a peace offering, sitting down and trying his best to look like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

"Alright," his uncle said, opening the bottle and testing its bouquet. "I know how this game goes. You want to tell me all about why you are right and I should convince your mother of it, so you can talk and I will listen, but just remember that I was playing long before you were born. I practically wrote the rules."

Well, that was as may be, but Loki still thought he was the more skilled player.

"She's confined me to the palace," he said. "Which I think is highly unfair. I also think it's unfair that everyone has lied to me my entire life and yet I'm supposed to act like that doesn't matter."

"If we'd told you the truth, what would you have done?"

"I'd have gone to look for my father."

"Exactly. But, please, continue."

He was holding his glass very casually, lounging back in his chair with it clawed in his hands, and for a rare moment, Loki could see some similarity between them. Something in the attitude maybe. A little hint that maybe he could be fun, deep down.

Maybe that was what he ought to appeal to.

"I haven't actually done anything wrong," he said. "The boundary is my responsibility and I have protected it as I was asked."

"You've also fraternised with a human."

"And? He's fun. I like him."

"Ah."

Something prickled at the back of Loki's neck, frowning lightly.

"What 'ah'? What does that mean?"

"You're having an affair with him, aren't you?"

Should he deny it? His first instinct was to do just that, to reject any allegation immediately. But the suspicion was planted now.

"So what if I am? Better that than someone down here. Less gossip. I help him a little, he looks after the barrow and... gives me something that I want. But that's part of why I trust him. We have a more intimate relationship than just a transactional arrangement."

"Intimacy and trustworthiness do not necessarily go hand in hand. People betray and hurt their lovers all the time."

Maybe it was time to change tack a little.

"A human contact is useful," Loki insisted. "I'm able to find out about their little issues that could have repercussions for us and keep the barrow protected. Besides, maybe he can even find out who kidnapped my father and rescue him..."

"Loki," his uncle said, holding up a hand to stop him. "This is exactly the kind of thing your mother is afraid of. That you'll go off on a fruitless hunt, possibly never to return, maybe get killed. That's why she made the boundary your responsibility; she thought you'd find it boring if you were made to pay attention. And even with your recent human watching hobby, I told her not to worry. I thought you'd soon get bored. I never thought you might actually be... close to one."

"I have been perfectly safe."

"You don't know that. You should have told us."

"Yes, this whole debacle is definitely showing me that Mother has entirely reasonable reactions and won't lock me up like a naughty child."

Was this working? Was he getting any sympathy? It was hard to tell.

"Why don't you tell me what exactly you want from this man?" he uncle said. "You can't seriously be thinking of a future with him. He is human. They don't live long, even with accidental help."

"I just... I want someone away from all of this. He's good company. And I can talk to him without everything I say being examined and cut up and studied. Is that so wrong? And it means we have a human protector. He likes me. Our relationship ensures the safety of the barrow for as long as he lives."

"Do you love him?"

Loki scoffed, looking away.

"No. I like him very well, but it's not so serious as all that."

That wasn't a lie. It was mainly physical, some friendship on the side. Right?

Yes.

"Well," his uncle sighed. "I can't go against your mother."

"I'm not asking you to. Just... be in my corner. And also I can't go above ground, but you can. You could... take a note on my behalf. Just a letter, just to let him know what's happening. And then you'll see that he is trustworthy."

A long look. Considering. And then a sigh.

"I'll do my best," he said. "But I can't promise anything."

"Thank you."

At least he had a bit of hope.


	36. Chapter 36

Oh, this was hopeless... Thor felt like he'd been reading newspaper clippings and notes for hours when Hela's letter finally arrived, trying to find connections or evidence that he just couldn't spot. And reading her neat slanted handwriting over a cup of tea gone cold was not helping.

_Thor_

_I have been thinking since your inquiry and I think perhaps we can use this to our advantage. Here is my scheme - you come home and pretend to have had a change of thought. You agree to marry Miss Gamora. This will protect your life, at least in the short term._

But the land... The barrow... He couldn't risk any harm coming to it.

_I can practically hear your misgivings already, but just think about it - if Thanos thinks he can gain your property through his daughter then he will leave it alone and we will have time to plan in person._

Hm. Maybe she was right. And maybe if he entered into the inner circle more...

But could he bear to leave Yowtonhame and everything that entailed? Even just pretending, he would have to face his parents. His father. And he'd have to leave Loki for a while, just as they were starting to... Well, he wasn't sure what they were to one another, but still, he'd grown rather accustomed to having frequent visits from his fairy lover.

He hated being unable to discuss all of this with him. Loki would find the clues and the proof easily, he was sure of it. But there had been no word. Nothing since their rather awkward goodbye.

It was late. He ate some leftovers and went to bed, taking Hela's papers up with him for safekeeping. You couldn't be too careful.

He'd had better night's sleep. He was so full of worries and fears. Could he go and pretend to be engaged? Wouldn't that be dreadfully cruel to Gamora, to play with her life like that? To make her think one thing was happening and then rip it away? What would that mean for her future prospects?

Oh, he didn't know what to do...

He was trying to pen a response to Hela the next morning, trying to convey his misgivings and his concerns but not doing terribly well, when there was a knock on his back door.

Odd. A visitor would go round the front. Unless...

He opened it, finding no one there. Or no one he could see anyway. But he could feel something. Like a hint of warmth in the air.

"Loki?" he tried.

An invisible hand pushed him gently back, finally a figure coming into sight when they were inside. And it wasn't Loki.

But it was a woman who looked like Loki a bit. Definitely like him. Something in the cheeks, the brows perhaps. His mother, surely?

Oh. The queen. How did you talk to queens?

Thor bowed awkwardly, mumbling out a "your majesty", completely out of his depths.

"Please," she said, holding up a hand. "That's quite unnecessary. I'm merely here to ask you some questions."

Thor had the distinct feeling that she always got answers when she asked for them. There would be no hiding anything from her.

"Of course," he said. "Please, have a seat if you'd like."

"No, thank you. What exactly are your intentions towards my son?"

Oh, golly... Oh, no.

"Um... Friendship?"

"Don't be coy. I know your relationship is more physical than most friendships. I'll ask a different way - how long do you intend to continue this affair?"

"I don't know. For as long as we both want to, I suppose. I figured eventually he would get bored of me."

She nodded, like she also thought that was likely, given enough time.

"He tells me he's done some magic for you. What kind?"

"He cast a spell on my field to help my crops grow well. That's the last one, I think."

Not including more intimate spells anyway...

"You don't have an endless list of tasks for him?"

"No. That was all I wanted. I enjoy his company more than anything else. And I'm glad he trusts me to help protect your home. Truly, I did not mean to cause offence or trouble when I tried to get your attention. I was trying to warn you of what I consider to be a serious threat. In fact, I may have to go away for a short while to deal with it. I would be grateful if you could tell Loki that if we are unable to see one another."

"Hm."

How was this going? Thor really wasn't sure. Did she like him? Was this kind of affair forbidden or something?

"Might I have three of your hairs, please?" she asked.

An odd question. Wincing slightly, Thor dutifully pulled out three golden strands, handing them over.

"What for?" he asked.

"One I will test to see how much your body has been affected by Loki giving you enchanted foods. I will then double check my results with another and hopefully help put your mind at rest at least somewhat."

"Thank you. And the third?"

She carefully placed them in a little pocket, spiriting them away.

"The third, I will keep, and if you ever harm my son, I will use it to curse you so thoroughly and so harshly that you'll wish you were never born."

Well. That was certainly clear.

"Can I see him again?" Thor asked.

"He trusts you. I am not happy about it necessarily, but there is no point in trying to keep Loki from something he clearly wants so much. However, I'm going to let him stew for a few more days. Make sure he is genuinely sorry. He sent a note though. You may have it."

The paper felt strange. Textured. Handmade perhaps.

"Thank you," he said as she disappeared, the door opening and closing apparently on nothing.

Once he was fairly sure she'd actually gone, Thor opened the letter from Loki, desperate to know what he had to say.

It was... short.

_Confined to the palace, but I'll soon get out of it, don't worry. I'll see you soon. Thinking of you._

_Also could you find out which humans lived near Jotunheim 200 years ago? Thank you._

What an odd request.

Still, a change was as good as a rest, as they said...


	37. Chapter 37

All the tortures thought up by any people throughout the whole universe surely couldn't compare to this dreadful infliction of boredom. Loki was frankly surprised that he had not yet succumbed utterly to despair. It had been days, weeks even.

There were only so many times you could walk around the corridors of the palace. The idea of finding a lover passed his mind, but he didn't want one. Or rather he wanted Thor.

He had no idea if his uncle had delivered his note or not, slouching along to dinner very grumpily, pouting down at his plate.

"Do you think you've learned your lesson, Loki?" his uncle asked him.

"Oh, completely," he said, bitterly. "I'll never keep anything from the two of you ever again."

"So you have no intention of giving up your human companion?"

"I don't see why I should when he poses no threat and is, in fact, an asset to us, as I seem to keep saying."

"Well, good," his mother said. "Having met him, I feel a lot more comfortable about the whole thing."

Well, now who was hiding things? This was so unfair!

"You've met Thor? You went above ground?"

"For the first time in centuries, yes. And your uncle accompanied me, invisibly, just in case. I wanted to ask him some questions. And I needed some samples from him to test. You really have scrambled him up by feeding him."

"How badly? Is it serious?"

"His senses are likely to be more attuned to magic than most humans. I think part of him sensed my approach before I had knocked, for instance. And I estimate that, at present, he will live approximately fifty years longer than expected."

Fifty years. It was fairly little for Loki, but he thought some humans only lived that long at all. He'd effectively doubled Thor's lifespan.

"What do you mean, at present?" he asked.

"It seems to be cumulative. No one has done the experiments, but I think you could extend his life to almost as long as ours if you kept giving him our food. Too much might kill him, of course. His body isn't capable of holding too much magic."

But a little bit, given carefully...

Loki tried to put that out of his mind. Thor was already upset about his lengthened life for some reason so proposing more might not go down well. That and he had no idea how the length might manifest. Would he grow older and older, frailer and frailer? Would his prime last longer? There was no way to tell. They'd have to wait and find out.

"So what did you... think of him?" he asked awkwardly.

There was a long glance between his mother and his uncle, saying things without saying them.

"I am wary of him still," his mother said. "But he seemed genuine. And he was very deferential to me, which always helps."

"So, can I see him again?"

The pause was surely only to torture him further. The little twinkle in his mother's eye surely meant something good.

"I will allow it," she said. "But not tonight. Wait until tomorrow."

Loki seized her hand, squeezing it.

"Thank you. I do like him, a lot."

"Well, having seen him, perhaps I'm not overly shocked that he distracted you."

Blushing was a small price to pay for his freedom. He could hardly sleep for excitement, partially at seeing Thor but also the prospect that perhaps he had found clues that might help them find his father.

If he was alive out there, Loki wanted to know. And, if necessary, to rescue him. He hadn't quite worked out the details yet, but surely it could be done.

He got up early and strode through the palace and out through the city, the whole place only just waking up, and out into the human world. The sky was lightly pinkened by the dawn, small purplish clouds hanging in it, the familiar back door of Thor's cottage locked. Well, no matter. It wasn't difficult to shrink himself down, sneak in, and creep up to Thor's bedroom.

Sleeping still. And Loki had seen him asleep before, but he hadn't appreciated it. One leg kicked out of the blanket, bare where his nightshirt had rucked up and pale against the sheets, long eyelashes against his cheeks, the hint of the curves of his body only just concealed.

It would be polite to ask before touching probably, but that meant waking him up... Surely there was a pleasant way to do that.

He undressed as quietly as he could, slipping into bed behind him, gently stroking his arms, kissing his shoulders, hearing his breathing change and then a quick roll to face him.

Oh, that smile... So happy to see him, pulling him into kisses immediately, holding him close.

"I've missed you."

"It's only been a few days. I've been away for longer before."

"I know, but still."

Loki let his hands wander, reacquainting himself with the muscles in Thor's back, the flesh on his thighs, up and down, slipping into his small clothes to squeeze...

"Do you... What we talked about," Thor said. "Do you want to?"

It was like he wanted to be teased...

"Oh, Thor, ask me properly."

A kiss, enough to have him swooning, but that was not asking.

"Will you do me the great honour of changing positions?" Thor asked.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

Thor grinned at him, so loose from sleep, carefree in this little dawn bubble.

"Please fuck me, Loki. I want to feel you inside me."

"Of course I will."

He was torn between having Thor on his back, all the better to see his face, and on his front, but elected for the former, settling between his legs.

"This might feel a little strange," he said.

"I'm ready."

It was strange to summon slick for someone else. Loki closed his eyes, trying to guide his magic to the right place, knowing he'd found it when Thor gasped.

"Alright?"

"Just... give me a second."

Time to look at his parted lips and parted legs, the shine on his suddenly opened hole, the sweet little frown on his face?

What a hardship...


	38. Chapter 38

Thor had been in this position before. Multiple times with different partners. And it generally involved a lot of patience and fingers and stretching. This had been all at once, his muscles relaxing instantly like he'd taken hours over it, an oily substance practically dripping from him.

But once he got over the shock, he was desperate to be filled, eager, trying to hook Loki in with his legs.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Please..."

They weren't done teasing yet, apparently. Was this revenge for all the times he'd done similar? Loki pushed just the head of his cock into him and then withdrew, clearly enjoying both the sight and the sensation. And Thor was proud. He wouldn't beg. And he'd win this little battle of wills.

Sure enough, he knew Loki didn't have it in him to resist taking what he wanted for very long, pushing into him with a steady slide, both of them moaning.

"You're so warm," Loki murmured, like he didn't realise he was talking. "Mm..."

Oh, it had been so long, so long since Thor had been like this with anyone and it felt so good, his muscles yielding and stretching, gasping at it. He'd almost forgotten how it felt, that alien feeling of welcoming someone into his body, so strange but knowing how wonderful it would soon be. And Loki kept pressing, kept going until he was completely inside, their skin pressed together.

"How's that?" Loki asked, his eyes almost glazed with pleasure already.

"Good, but be gentle with me."

The laughter seemed to reverberate into his very bones, Loki leaning down to kiss him, vital and real and wonderful, obviously watching his face as he rolled his hips, slow and deliberate.

"And here I thought humans were... Mm... Strong and resilient..."

"Doesn't mean you can't appreciate being properly taken care of."

"Oh, don't worry. I intend to take very good care of you."

It was everything Thor could have imagined and more besides. Loki was very gentle, very slow at first, letting him really enjoy every thrust, every motion, the way he was so wonderfully full, letting him get used to the sensation before trying something a little harder, a little faster...

"Oh!"

"Yes?"

"Yeah, like that... Oh, God..."

Loki clearly knew exactly what he was doing, grinning and swivelling his hips just so, giving him quick little thrusts that hit that wonderful spot within him with unrelenting accuracy, making him almost shudder with pure delight.

And maybe as he gazed up into those green eyes that he had seen wide with surprise and clenched tightly shut so many times, Thor wondered if his increased heart rate was completely down to physical exertion.

He shouldn't think things like that. It was impossible. They were quite literally from different worlds, for goodness sake!

He surged forward, catching Loki by surprise if the squeak and laugh were anything to go by, greedy for kisses, for more, trying to distract his mind from such dangerous thoughts, and of course Loki could catch his rhythm, could match him, gripping him tight...

The hand around his cock made him moan openly, rocking between Loki's length and his hand, spilling faster than he'd expected but feeling that answering rush from Loki only moments later, welcoming him into his arms, so warm and wonderful and perfect.

And despite the width of his shoulders, he seemed to fit there...

"Mm..." Loki murmured. "You're even more delectable than I'd hoped. We should do this again some time."

"Yes," Thor said. "Absolutely."

Loki sighed happily and flopped into the empty side of the bed, smiling over at him.

"I got the information you asked for," Thor said. "In your note. It's very strange though."

"I didn't know they'd delivered it to you. What did you find out?"

"This land, this field, Yowtonhame, it's been more or less unchanged for centuries. The rest of the village and the land changes hands and walls are built and knocked down, but it never changes until the house is built fifty years back. But the people who lived here are a lot more complicated. Why did you want to know anyway?"

Loki pulled up the blanket, waving a hand to clean them, lounging like a very satisfied cat.

"All my life, they told me my father was dead," he said. "But I've found out that he... He actually vanished one day. He had befriended a human and both of them disappeared without warning. I suspect - or I suppose I hope - that he might still be alive out there. I hoped to find out who was here around that time, who that friend might have been."

And suddenly something clicked into place in Thor's brain. Impossible happenings, locked doors, suspicious deaths... But all things that Loki could do easily and so surely his father could do also...

"Do you think he could be working with a human?"

"Well, it's possible, but leaving without a word and never coming back makes me think he was taken against his will."

"Can that happen? I mean, you're magical. Surely you could just escape?"

"We are weakened by certain metals, iron mainly. There are old stories from when we lived above ground of fairies being taken and held in cages, forced to perform magic on demand by humans."

Thor felt a shiver run up his back. Could it be? Did Thanos have a captive fairy? Could that be Loki's father?

And no wonder the queen had been so unsure of him if that had already happened to her lover and now her son was befriending a human too...

"My sister wants me to go back and pretend to be willing to marry the daughter of the landowner who has been causing me issues," he said. "And she's suspicious that he might somehow have been involved in crimes that seem impossible. Murders, even. And now I can't help but wonder... What if he had magical help? What if...?

"But a human alive today couldn't possibly have taken him. My... little accident has extended your life by fifty years, they think. They couldn't live for centuries without access to our food."

"But they could pass down an enslaved fairy like a carriage clock. Humans inherited other enslaved humans even into my lifetime. And it would explain why he wants this land so badly - maybe he knows you are here, your kingdom. What if our two problems are one and the same?"

Loki looked at him warily and then sighed, rolling to look up at the ceiling.

"That would be a pretty big coincidence," he said.


	39. Chapter 39

It was a very enticing idea, Loki had to admit. Imagining helping Thor with his problems and finding and rescuing his father at the same time? It would be perfect.

But surely it couldn't be true.

Then again, what would be the harm in checking? Thor was excitedly showing him all manner of human papers about deaths and accidents and, yes, he could think of methods for doing all of them...

"What are you suggesting we do?" he asked. "You can hardly go storming in there and demand he free the magical creature you suspect he has."

"Not without being locked up. But we can't do nothing either. Why don't we investigate together? I can distract everyone while you sneak around maybe."

"And how would I get there?"

"Well, if you became small, I could carry you in my pocket."

Loki shook his head.

"I wouldn't manage it. Remaining outside of my natural height for any length of time longer than about forty minutes is exhausting. It's like trying to hold one position for hours. It's impossible."

Oh, he wasn't sure if he liked the look of excitement that had settled on Thor's face...

"We could disguise you as a human. You could be my valet."

"Your what?"

"It's sort of like a butler."

"A servant? The very idea..."

"It would just be pretend. Think about it, alright? Talk it over with your family. I mean, they might not let you go anyway."

Loki bridled slightly at that. He could go if he wanted.

Go into the human world with all their funny ways. Come home either as a hero or as an attempted hero.

He couldn't deny being tempted.

"We need to think this through," he said. "You go back - with or without me - and you pretend to be willing to marry and what then? You think a fiance will just be given free access to roam around secret offices full of evidence?"

"I'd certainly have a better chance. And my sister will help us."

And that was Loki's main misgiving. Thor knowing of his existence was one thing. Letting anyone else find out would be extremely dangerous.

"What would you tell her about me?" he asked. "You couldn't possibly say what I am really."

Thor's hesitation told him all he needed to know.

"You need to work that out first," Loki said. "You're unlikely to have a valet out here in the country, I think. So what am I? A friend?"

"A lodger?" Thor suggested.

"In a house with one bedroom?"

"Alright, then, a friend. My best man, you know? For the wedding. A man I have met and befriended or an old school chum. With your noble air, they'd easily take you to be gentry of one form or another, or at least rich."

Loki could almost feel himself wavering, even though this was an absolutely ridiculous scheme and would probably end with Thor unhappily married and the barrow sold and destroyed.

Then again, what choice did they have?

"Make a convincing human disguise for me," he said. "And I will ask my mother about it. If you think my father might be with this Thanos against his will, then it's surely my filial duty to at least try to rescue him."

Thor grinned at him, so excited for even the idea of an adventure together. It was difficult not to get swept up in it.

"Maybe you ought to be foreign," he said. "They're likely to know most of the grand families of England by repute if not personally. Maybe you could be Italian or Polish..."

That was human stuff. Loki didn't really understand. Different kingdoms, different lands. There were other fae out there, of course, lots of them. You could travel to visit fairly easily, if you wished. It had been a while since he'd been on a journey.

"I'd need a way to communicate with my mother," he said. "She won't like this idea at all."

"We could always send letters back," Thor said. "Someone could come up from the barrow and collect them."

Hm. That might work if there was no magical solution.

"I can't promise anything. I mean, I'm already having to tread carefully over seeing you at all. But I will ask. I'll lay out my case."

"And if I'm wrong, you can come straight back."

Hm. Yes. Hopefully.

"And, of course, we'll have to do something about your clothes," Thor continued.

"Why? What's wrong with them?"

Thor laughed, kissing his offended pout from his lips.

"Nothing at all. They're just a little different from human fashions."

"I'll look ridiculous!"

"Oh, I don't know. I might find the sight of you in a waistcoat highly enticing."

Hm. Well, maybe he could live with that.


	40. Chapter 40

Thor carefully drafted two letters. One for Hela and one for her to pass along to their parents. That second one was all lies, of course. Talking about having had a change of heart, of how Hela had managed to convince him to return. Earning her praise, with any luck.

And to her, he wrote more privately.

_Dear Hela_

_I think your scheme could work. It will certainly get us closer to the family, better able to investigate. Maybe the daughters know something for instance? It may be our best shot._

_I may be bringing a friend with me, my best man as it were. He's a very sharp fellow and I'm sure he will be able to aid us. He is foreign though so sometimes our customs confuse him._

Would that help disguise Loki as a human? He didn't know about life up here. What about formal meals and etiquette and all those other strange little rituals that ruled the lives of the nouveau riche? Copying the landed gentry, trying to emulate them.

He ought to introduce Loki to Brunnhilde first. A kind of test maybe to see how well he could play at being one of them. She was a professional dectective, more or less, after all. If he could fool her, he could fool almost anyone.

Then again, even with the strangest behaviour, who would jump to the conclusion that he was not human anyway? They'd think he was simply not who he claimed to beand try to find evidence of that. Therefore, their story had to be watertight.

And in the meantime, perhaps he ought to pack.

Not everything. Clothes mainly. He didn't need to cart all his blankets home, or all the tools he'd acquired since arriving. After all, he was coming back. He was. They'd sort this all out somehow. He was almost convinced now that the daughters would be the key. They must know something, whether about Loki's father or about their own father's unfair dealings. They'd find a way out.

Thanos's name hadn't appeared on the list of landowners that Loki had asked for, but that didn't mean anything. After all, that list now only included about four names; the actual people who had lived there and worked on the land were not included. His ancestor could have been a labourer or a tenant farmer with no actual legal claim on Yowtonhame, kidnapping the fae that trusted them and building the family fortune through magic elsewhere.

The thought was bubbling at the back of his mind that this might be dangerous, especially for Loki. If they had his father locked away somewhere, if they suspected he was a fairy also, things might get very difficult very quickly. But then again, anyone who thought they could get to Loki would have to get through Thor first or suffer the consequences.

He picked up a catalogue of available menswear from the tailor on his way back from the post office. Loki could choose a couple he liked - a formal dinner suit, some neat shirts and so on - and he'd pay to have them made as quickly as possible.

Little tasks like this helped quiet his mind from the fear that he was walking into trouble. What if he had to get married? What then? He couldn't, in all good conscience, abandon Gamora if things went that far. But she probably wouldn't want to come out here to the country.

And what if she was like her father? Ruthless and cruel like him? Bringing her out here could be a risk to the barrow.

Hopefully it would never get to that stage. He'd have to try to work out how to cross that bridge when they came to it.

He was quite relieved when Brunnhilde turned up at his door, making her dinner - which was actually helpful since he had a good number of potatoes to get through over the next week. Company helped distract him.

"I've not seen anyone yet," she said. "No strangers in town."

"There, uh... There may be one soon," Thor said. "I've written to a friend of mine on the continent and invited him to be my best man. Pretend to be my best man, rather."

She frowned at him, her fork poised in midair.

"Do you trust him?"

"Utterly. And he is a very intelligent and useful person. Another pair of eyes, another brain. I'm waiting for his response though."

"And looking for new clothes while you're at it?"

Ah, yes. Of course she'd have noticed the catalogue lying on his sideboard.

"He travels light. It wouldn't be the first time he's simply sent on his measurements and paid me back for a suit or two. I'm just being prepared."

Was she believing that? He wasn't sure. But she also didn't seem to be not believing it. Besides, it would help with inferring that Loki was an eccentric rich gentleman from overseas.

So now he just had to come up with a way for Loki to stride into town like he's just arrived where she could clearly see him.

Assuming his mother agreed to let him go, of course.


	41. Chapter 41

Honestly, Loki thought, it would have been easier if there had been shouting. When he'd brought up Thor's suspicions of where his father might be and the problems which threatened their lives, neither his mother or uncle had said anything, letting him lay out all the evidence, looking at him with such concern.

"I knew this would happen," his mother said, so sadly, like her very heart was broken. "I knew it. You want to leave me."

"No," Loki said. "No, no, I want to temporarily go to investigate a potential place where my father might be held captive and then I will return immediately, either with him safe or satisfied that he is not there. And I will help Thor to destroy the man who threatens us. I'm not leaving. I'm just taking a journey and then coming home."

She didn't seem convinced. She seemed afraid. And his uncle cleared his throat, steepling his fingers.

"I think it's a good idea," he said.

They both turned on him immediately, equally surprised. An unexpected ally. This was very helpful.

"He is my son..." his mother said.

"I know. But he is a grown man too. You can't protect him from everything forever. And besides, if Farbauti is out there somewhere, alive out there, being subjected to the worst of human tortures..."

"He is dead. I came to terms with that a long time ago."

"You don't know that. We don't know. And he was my friend too."

Loki watched as his mother's face turned from sadness to anger, a strangely subtle change, a slight flaring of nostrils, a tightening of her jaw.

"You want him to go," she muttered. "You want him gone so I will name you as my successor."

A cold feeling settled into Loki's stomach, both disbelief that she could even think something like that and the tiniest hint of worry that maybe she might be right.

"No," his uncle said. "I want us to examine the evidence."

"And put my son at risk? How convenient."

"Do you really think so little of me?!"

Ah. Here came the shouting maybe. But no. His uncle took a deep breath and lowered his voice.

"Loki is better suited to the kingdom than I am," he said. "Yes, he needs to learn to take things more seriously and, yes, he needs to learn to ask for help sometimes and, yes, he has a habit of acting first and thinking about consequences later..."

Well, now, hang on a second.

"But he has the quickness and the confidence to handle it all. He'll mature into it. I could caretake, of course, but I couldn't actually reign. I knew that from when we were children. You would reign and I would support you. I have no bitterness about it. Never have. And it hurts to think you thought I did."

She didn't really. Loki was sure of that. She was just scared and lashing out.

He took her hand, squeezing it gently.

"I will be very careful," he said. "And you've met Thor. He is a decent man. He will not let anything happen to me."

"But what if he can't protect you?" she asked shakily. "What then? What if you go up there and then I never see you again?"

"He would come and inform you. He would not let you spend your life wondering. And besides, we were discussing that I could write, I could send notes through the human letter system and someone could collect them from Thor's box of post in front of the house."

"Or there are the mirrors," his uncle said. "The small ones."

What was this now? His mother was scoffing a little.

"They haven't been used for hundreds of years," she said. "I'm not sure the spells still work. But we could try it, I suppose. And I would be more comfortable with them."

They certainly were old. They were buried in the archives, untouched for so long, dusty. Two incredibly tiny mirrors, no bigger than a fingernail, set into rings. And Loki could feel the magic radiating off them. It was old-fashioned stuff, but quite clearly there.

"How do they work?" he asked.

"Like all magic rings," his uncle said, polishing them up on his tunic. "You simply slip it on and the spells take effect. The mirrors are connected, forged together from the same moonbeam. You can speak through them."

He passed one to Loki to examine. It was quite plain. A simple bronze band and an oval of shimmering mirror set in it, flat and silvery. Would he get away with wearing this around humans? Thor didn't wear any decoration that he'd noticed.

"I may not be able to wear it all the time," Loki said.

"That's alright," his uncle said as his mother folded her arms. "As long as we hear from you every day, we'll know you are safe."

"What if someone overhears?"

A smile.

"Put it on and you'll see why that's impossible."

Hm. Loki tried it on a few fingers before it fit neatly onto the ring finger of his right hand, and he felt the spell immediately. Oh, this was _old..._ So old. It was almost like he could smell it, the scent of old books and rusty metals. Like blood but also definitely not blood. A little like... Like snow.

"Why does it smell like that?"

His mother put on the other one and suddenly her voice was in his head. Not in his ears, just his head.

_Cold air makes them work better. These were made on the coldest night of the year._

Did he just have to think and it would... transmit?

_How old are they?_

She met his gaze, looking slightly proud of him. Maybe some people found them difficult to use.

_A millenia at least._

Wow. And still functional. Loki took it off, nodding.

"So, can I go?" he asked.

She still didn't seem happy about it, but...

"Not so fast. I'll put some protection spells on you first."

"Oh, Mother, I'm sure that's not necessary..."

"The more you argue, the longer it will take."

And maybe he ought to stop arguing in case she changed her mind.


	42. Chapter 42

"How quickly can it be made?" Thor asked.

"Oh, well," the tailor said. "A week is our standard preparation time."

It had been difficult, getting Loki's measurements. He was so excited to be going on this journey, thrilled in fact, and that had made him amorous, giggling as Thor tried to run a tape measure across his shoulders and especially down his inside leg seam. His existing trousers were fine for general wear, but he still needed a more formal pair.

And now here Thor was, trying to get him kitted out like a gentleman.

"And how about if I were to pay extra for a speedier service?" he asked, laying some coins on the counter.

The tailor looked at them, and then his eyes flashed up.

"Then I'm sure they could be done by Monday morning."

That would do. It was Thursday now. They could be in the city by that afternoon. He should write to Hela and inform her.

"Could I have a shirt made today?" he asked.

"Certainly. But, uh... Could I ask why? I mean, these measurements... They're clearly not yours. This is a more slender gentleman."

"I'm expecting a guest from overseas and, alas, his luggage has been lost during his travels. I've promised him at least a clean shirt for when he arrives and next week, we're off to the city."

"A true friend, going to such trouble."

"He's going to pay me back."

Loki was really quite insistent about it, in fact, though of course it wouldn't be anything monetary.

Thor had decided that they ought to pretend Loki was Slavic. Bohemian. Saying France or Italy or even Prussia carried too much risk that someone might speak the language. That was distinctly less likely the further east they went.

Come to think of it, he didn't understand how Loki spoke English given he was two hundred years old...

And he definitely wasn't thinking about the fact that he was likely to live to be over a hundred himself. He was being very careful about it. He couldn't face the idea of it. It was too much.

He busied himself with preparations instead, buying enough groceries to tide them over now he knew how long they would be staying, dispatching a note to Hela direct from the post office and finally heading home with the new shirt in hand. Already, he could hear the sound of sewing machines rattling in the back rooms, the steady sound of pedalling as they made Loki's wardrobe. He felt oddly nostalgic for it. His mother had one similar.

Loki was reading one of the books a previous occupant had left behind when he returned, frowning lightly.

"This... sea," he said. "I think I'd like to see it. Is it like a big river?"

Um...

"Well, it's water," Thor said. "But it stretches out as far as the eye can see. And it smells different. Salty. I'll take you. We can walk along the beach."

"I've been very far from home before," Loki said, like he was a little embarrassed. "I have travelled. It's just always been underground. I've seen lakes in caves, but this... Well, there are a lot of things up here that sound interesting."

"There's lots of things I haven't seen either," Thor said. "Great mountains. A desert. Bamboo forests. Anyway, your shirt, good sir."

Loki's usual wear was a sort of tunic and a long, flowing coat, rather beautiful but somewhat eccentric by human standards. He looked at the crisp white cotton for a moment before putting it on, looking very lean and lithe in it, leaving a button or two undone at the neck.

"How do I look?" he asked. "Suitably human?"

"Suitably handsome anyway," Thor said, kissing him. "Right, come on. Make yourself invisible, then we'll walk out of town and back again and it will look to anyone watching like I've gone and met you at the station."

"It's rather fun, all this clandestine sneaking," Loki said before disappearing. "I wonder what we could get up to while we pretend."

He was incorrigible sometines. Maybe that was part of what Thor liked about him.

"Well, let me know if you think of something," he teased.

It was harder to avoid a playful swat on the behind when you couldn't see it coming.


	43. Chapter 43

It wasn't like Loki hadn't ever been above the ground before, but this was the furthest he had been from the barrow. He'd never needed or wanted to be this far from it before.

It was so open up here. The sky was grey, but so big. Astonishingly large. And the trees! He knew they changed colour of course, but the variety! The golds and reds and oranges. Beautiful. Really, truly beautiful and so much bigger than the ones they had underground. Left to grow big rather than carefully pruned.

It was chilly though. The blissfully warm summer days were over. No chance of frolicking outside now.

Or, well... Maybe if they were quick and kept out of the wind...

As soon as they were out of view of the town, he dropped his invisibility spell, relaxing somewhat. He was really doing this. He was going to have an adventure that would echo through the ages. He was going to come back a hero, hopefully by rescuing his father, or failing that, by protecting their home.

And this was the first step.

"Are we actually going to walk to the station?" he asked.

"Might as well," Thor said. "So you're a little familiar with it before we return. It's not far."

What exactly had Loki expected? He had established that it was some kind of transport hub, but somehow he had expected carriages. Instead, there was a small building full of chairs with a few people sitting in them, a window with a bored-looking man standing in a tiny square room. Strange little hat. Thor approached him, talking about timetables and prices while Loki explored a little.

There was a sort of cliff edge and below it, two metal... runners? They looked like a road or a path almost, balanced on carefully laid wooden panels. Odd.

"Could you step back, please, sir?" a young man said, wearing the same sort of hat as the window man. "Train's due."

Yes, the train. Thor had mentioned that and Loki had assumed it was some kind of large carriage. Evidently not. It must move on this special path.

And then he heard it. A strange rhythmic sound, like the panting of some terrible beast, turning to see a huge plume of grey smoke above the trees and then round the corner of the metal runs came an absolutely enormous machine, screaming as it came to a halt. And then, as though such a thing was perfectly commonplace, a couple of people stepped off and others got on, opening little doors and peering out of windows.

He almost jumped when the young man blew a loud blast of a whistle, the doors all being banged shut and then the whole thing moved off again in a slowly accelerating roar.

Loki tried not to look as stunned as he was as he made his way back to Thor. He knew humans had great machines and boats and weapons, but seeing them up close was quite different...

"We're going to go in one of them?" he murmured as they left.

"Of course. They're really quite comfortable, more so than you'd think. And you get used to the noise."

"No, I'm not worried about it. I'm excited. They're magnificent."

Thor didn't seem to understand, but smiled fondly at him, glancing around before giving him a kiss. And, well, Loki felt perhaps they could be a little more intimate than that, if they found the right location. Somewhere out of the cool breeze...

"You know, we still haven't had the fun you promised me," he said.

"Did I promise?" Thor asked.

"Well, you implied very heavily. And besides I need to pay you back for my new clothes."

A chuckle, but as usual, Loki got the impression that Thor would like him to make the first suggestions. They were approaching the town again, soon to be back at Jotunheim, and Loki was keen to do something before then, even if it was something rushed...

He took Thor's hand and tugged him towards one of those huge, knarled trees lining the road, still enough leaves clinging to it to give a little shelter.

"Of course, I would hate to muss my new shirt," Loki said. "So I suppose I'll simply have to take it off..."

"Here?" Thor spluttered. "But people could see..."

It would be tiring but worth it. Loki made himself invisible and carefully took off his shirt, hanging it on a branch, taking hold of Thor's hand again and bringing it to his chest. Oh, he was so warm...

"Alright, well, what about me?" Thor asked. "I don't want any rumours to spread about me making love to trees."

Loki laughed and widened his spell, engulfing Thor in it too.

"Of course," he murmured. "We're going to have to try to stay quiet."

He could hear Thor undoing his belt, unable to resist him.

"How are we going to do this?" he asked.

Loki knew exactly what he wanted to do, but wasn't sure if it was possible. Worth a try though.

"Do you think you could pick me up?" he asked, taking off his trousers too. "I can make myself a little lighter if needs be."

"You want me to pick you up and fuck you against a tree?"

"Yes, please."

He heard Thor chuckle, managing to find him and pull him close, kissing him deeply.

"I'll give it a try," he said.


	44. Chapter 44

This was so very, very strange. Thor knew Loki was there. He could feel him. He could feel every inch of his wondrous skin, he could taste his lips, but when he opened his eyes, he could only see bark. He couldn't see his own body or clothes either.

"Alright," he said softly. "Right, be careful."

He felt the hands planted on his shoulders, caught the beautiful legs that wrapped around him, Loki giggling and kissing him as he walked them forward and braced him against the wood. It would be rough on his back though...

"Is that alright?" he asked. "It's not going to scrape?"

"Mm. Be better once I have some pleasurable distraction."

He had little leverage in this position, relying on Thor to do it all, which was surprisingly difficult without being able to see. He could feel where Loki was slick, but having to try to partially guess his way was tricky.

Not that tricky, though. He felt Loki's satisfied sigh against his face, felt that familiar tightness surround him, gasping with it as he pressed inside.

Even knowing no one could see them, he felt oddly nervous, scared that someone would stumble across them somehow, pausing to listen before trying the tiniest thrust.

"I think you might need to go a little harder," Loki murmured. "Speed is rather of the essence."

"I don't want to hurt your back."

"No, don't worry. I'll be fine."

Well, alright then. Adjusting his grip somewhat, still amazed that this was happening, that he was invisible here out on the public road buried deep within a beautiful, strange, magical being, he made sure Loki was well and truly secure before setting more of a pace.

He could hear Loki's heavy breathing, feel the heat of it, feel where he was clinging on with one hand, the other moving quickly between their bodies.

And then he heard hoof beats and the rattle of a carriage, stopping immediately despite Loki's slight noise of complaint.

"Shh, shh!" he said urgently, leant right in, panting and trying desperately not to for fear that it would be too loud.

He could feel Loki's body clenching. He was so close. But they had to be quiet...

And then Loki definitely clenched deliberately and he didn't even have the use of a threatening glare. And something about his grip must have changed, because Loki was laughing under his breath...

Thor tapped him on the hip. Not hard. Just a warning.

A farm cart entered his peripheral vision and passed by without so much as the shortest pause.

"You are terrible," Thor growled as Loki laughed.

"That's why you like me."

Maybe. But he was going to finish this, quickly, before they really got caught. He gripped Loki's hips and picked up the pace again, knocking the wind from Loki's body.

"Ooh... Mm!"

"Ssh!"

Even the panting was enough to spur him on though.

Unexpectedly, he spilled first, pent up, but Loki was only a second or two behind. Thor eased him to the ground, letting him lean against him for a moment and recover.

Anyone watching from the road would soon see two men emerge from the trees, warm cheeked as though from a brisk walk, one trying hard to be angry but not really managing it in the face of the easy smile on the other's face.

"We're about to go into potentially serious danger, Thor," Loki said. "I have to get my fun while I can."

"Are you ready to meet Brunnhilde? Remember, she's sharp. There can't be any slips. You're from Bohemia, you came here by train and boat and we met at school, where you attended for one term."

"I'm sure I'll be alright. What's the likelihood of her guessing the truth anyway?"

"Almost zero," Thor admitted.

"Then you should stop worrying."

Maybe he was right, but the worries continued to gnaw at him.

At least his body was pleasantly relaxed, even if his mind wasn't.


	45. Chapter 45

Loki sat in Thor's kitchen and hoped he was being a convincing human. He was eating their food - passable, not entirely terrible - and he had introduced himself. Loki Laufeyson, man from far away. No need for further questions.

"So, Monday, we go?" Brunnhilde asked.

"That's when Loki's wardrobe will be ready," Thor said. "I've written to Hela to tell her."

"Alright. So, what is our plan?"

Our plan, Loki noted. He was being included in this. More than that, he actually knew more than she did about what Thor had in mind.

"A man connected to so much trouble can't possibly have managed to hide everything," Thor said. "We just need to find his weakness, find evidence. I think we should test the daughters. What do we know about them?"

"Not a great deal. They are adopted. Gamora is older by a matter of months. Her parents died in some kind of carriage accident. Horse spooked and went off a bridge. She has been in society for a season, but I think Thanos already had his eye on you as a potential match."

Loki didn't like that. He felt a somewhat possessive streak roll through him. Thor was his lover, his friend. He was not to be married off to a stranger.

"And Nebula?" Thor asked.

"Very little. She is not out."

"I'm sorry," Loki said. "I'm not sure I understand - what is out?"

"Young women of their class are presented socially when they reach an age suitable for marriage. Introduced to eligible bachelors. Do you not have something like that in Bohemia?"

"Of course. Yes. I was merely unfamiliar with the phrase. So Nebula is not out?"

"No. And she is of age. I think Thanos is waiting to find an appropriate man of his own choosing. I understand that she survived a fire as a small child which killed her parents and is blind in one eye from it. She is sometimes seen at home for formal dinner parties but not elsewhere. Neither sister is allowed much freedom."

"Hm. And they might resent that," Thor said. "That's potentially something we can exploit."

"And for Nebula particularly, a sheltered young woman might be easily swayed by a handsome foreigner if he flirted with her a little."

They had both looked at Loki and he found himself almost stammering.

"Me?" he managed. "Oh, I'm not sure that's entirely proper."

"It wouldn't have to necessarily be flirting," Thor said. "But talking to her is a good idea. Hela will also be able to help. She can be... sisterly."

"Can she?" Brunnhilde said. "That's not how I'd describe her."

In truth, Loki was very interested in the mysterious sister. From what Thor had said, she was fiercely intelligent, very sharp. She sounded fun and he was looking forward to meeting her.

"She might have to act a little," Thor said, smiling fondly. "But I'm sure she can do it. Now, my parents; my father is going to be absolutely furious at me for running away. I'll do my best to calm him down, but I do wonder if we could also plant seeds of doubt in his mind. He will not want to deal with a man like Thanos if he is as corrupt as we think he is."

"And your mother?" Loki asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea. She can't be ignorant of my objections to the marriage and surely she must have known of the proposed engagement before I did, but she doesn't seem to have tried to prevent it. Maybe she had plans that would come into play later, but I ran away before she could implement them."

Hmm.

"I'll handle my parents," Thor said. "And it will be easier with a guest. They'll be forced to be extra polite."

That sounded familiar. The rare occasions when they had a visitor from another kingdom or even just members of council for a more private meal were always somewhat awkward and careful.

"And what about you?" he asked Brunnhilde.

"Well, I can't come into the house as a guest, but I'll be after a different target. Servants see and hear more than they usually let on, after all. Make a few friends, ask a few questions."

Shrewd. Loki had decided that he liked her by the time she left them, even if she did keep looking at him with some confusion.

"Do you think I got away with it?" he asked. "Was I a passable human?"

"You did very well," Thor said. "And by Monday, we'll have completely sorted out your story."

He seemed tired, nervous, and Loki went to him, getting into his lap and running his hands through his hair.

"I must speak to my mother," he said. "But after that, I think we should get an early night."

Thor let out a long exhale.

"You're right. I'll get you a night shirt."

Not until after kisses, he wouldn't...

And then Loki took the mirror ring from his pocket and slipped it on, feeling the connection immediately.

_"Mother?"_

There was a brief pause, and then her voice filled his head.

_"Loki! How are you?"_

_"Perfectly well. I've met another human and I think fooled her into believing I'm one of them and I've seen the transport we will be taking. Everything is going to be alright."_

_"Just be careful. I love you."_

_"And I you. And I will. And Thor will look after me."_

_"He'd better."_

He knew her better than to think that was an empty threat, but he trusted Thor. They were a team and they would conquer this together.

_"Goodnight. It will be a few days before we leave. I'm going to practise at being one of them for a while longer before I am tested properly. And I'll speak to you every day."_

_"You must forgive me my worrying."_

_"You're my mother. You're allowed to worry."_

_"Exactly. Well, goodnight."_

He slipped the ring off. He needed a way to carry it around other than wearing it. A chain perhaps? He'd think of something. Or maybe his pocket was best. No one would notice it there.

And on the first night of his big adventure, he was going to sleep in a pleasingly familiar bed with a very pleasingly familiar gentleman.

Just because it was an adventure didn't mean you had to jump in head first.


	46. Chapter 46

Right. Right, sleeping. Together. Sleeping together. This was fine.

It was just that Thor had never done it before. Not like this. He'd stumbled home with a lover before, but he was generally either kicked out to a guest bedroom before any parents came sniffing around or had enough alertness to get himself out and go home in the early hours.

He'd never slept next to someone completely sober and definitely not for a whole night.

What if he snored? What if he kept Loki awake all night? What if he moved around too much or was too hot or too cold or...?

And what if Loki snored?

Laying out a spare nightshirt that was probably going to hang off Loki's shoulders, he slipped beneath the blankets. He could warm the bed up, at least.

He probably looked like a nervous virgin on their wedding night when Loki came up the stairs, lying on his back with the sheets up to his neck, his feet pointed towards the ceiling.

"How's your mother?" he asked.

"Worrying already," Loki said, getting out of his clothes and pulling the thick cotton shirt over his head.

As Thor had predicted, it billowed on his slender frame as he made his way round to the other side of the bed and leapt beneath the blankets, wiggling around in an effort to warm up.

Well, Thor could help with that.

He blew out the lamp and rolled over, pulling Loki into his arms, folding his body in behind him. A living hot water bottle.

And then they lay quietly for a while, awkwardly not saying anything. Trying to relax.

"This is strange," Loki murmured.

Thor chuckled, squeezing him lightly.

"It is," he said. "But not unpleasant, I hope."

"Mm. No, not unpleasant at all."

In fact, as Loki's breathing grew longer and his grip on the sheets grew slack, Thor began to worry that this was actually far too nice. Just having someone sleeping next to you, comfortable enough to do that. It wasn't even anything to do with their attraction and attachment. He just loved knowing he was trusted.

Despite his aversion to marrying Gamora, he had always vaguely assumed that he would have a wife one day. He'd imagined someone... Well, without putting too fine a point on it, like his mother, really. Clever and warm and kind. And pretty, of course. And maybe that was a little presumptuous on his part but, well...

Would that happen now? He wasn't sure if he could bear thinking of it. Assuming no accidents or sickness, he would live far beyond the years of a spouse. He might even outlive his own children with an additional fifty years added to his allotted three score and ten.

But the idea of being alone forever... Just getting older by himself, no one to share his life with. He'd be fine, of course, but it was the idea that he wouldn't have the choice that was bothering him. Remaining a bachelor wouldn't be fully because he wanted to but because he knew anyone he grew close to would likely die before him.

It was a risk, certainly, just in general. Anyone might outlive their spouse. But for him, it would almost be a certainty.

It was a frightening thought. How long before Loki couldn't visit him anymore or wanted to move on? He would keep his word and protect the barrow, but in return he was more or less cursed. Alone. He'd see this village change so much. Even in the last fifty years, it must have altered to the point of being almost unrecognisable.

He'd see the next century. Not just 1900, but 1930, 1950 even. How would the world look then, more than one hundred years after his birth?

Oh, he shouldn't think about this now.

Being careful not to move the mattress too much and wake Loki, he rolled onto his side of the bed and let sleep take him.

They were going to have a busy few days after all.


	47. Chapter 47

Trains were... incredible.

Loki felt he had this humanity thing more or less entirely in hand. He had met the postal workers now and they completely believed that he was some kind of rich man from another country. It was easy. Any time he was confused, he was able to pretend it was merely an issue of being from somewhere else where things were different. And that wasn't even a lie, really.

They'd gone to the tailor first thing in the morning to collect his new human wardrobe. It was... fine. He'd tried all of it on to get a feel for it and Thor had certainly made some reasonable choices for him.

The formal wear in particular was very nice. It flattered his frame - not that he needed it - making him look almost as good as he did in his own clothes. It was just a shame that he couldn't wear it all the time.

And now they had climbed aboard the train, sitting on plush benches and the views outside... How could Brunnhilde be sitting back reading when the whole world was rushing by for them to look at and enjoy? Forests and lakes and rolling hills, a patchwork quilt of the land.

It took a while. The route was not direct, pulling into more stations and stopping, but in time, the countryside began to turn to a more urban environment. Houses, bridges, roads, more and more people.

And then there were huge chimneys coming into view, like enormous versions of the one on the front of the train, thick black smoke billowing up into the sky, a hodgepodge of buildings all crammed together and then a huge iron and glass structure over the rails, a barrel-shaped building.

"This is our station," Thor said, getting up and starting to gather the luggage.

He seemed very miserable and Loki wished they were alone so he could squeeze his shoulder, comfort him somehow, but stepping off the train, he wasn't sure it was possible to be alone in this place. There were so many humans! Coming and going, bustling around, all rushing to their destinations.

Except one. There was a woman at the end of the platform, still and waiting, very tall. People flowed around her like a river moving around a large rock. Her deep grey gown and her dark hair almost made her look like part of the building, like she had been carved out of it.

And when her eyes fell on him, Loki knew she was going to be his greatest challenge yet.

"Hela," Thor said, nodding to her.

"Good journey?" she asked.

"Unremarkable. Quite hungry now, though."

"Come on. I'll treat you to lunch before you face Father."

Loki hadn't even noticed, what with all the excitement, but, yes, he was ready to eat something. Hela led them out to a carriage, loading his and Thor's bags and sending it away, presumably to be delivered to the family home. Thor tried to take Brunnhilde's for her, but she wouldn't let him.

The smell was so different here to in the country. The familiar stench of horses and all their leavings, of course, but then there was an acrid layer all around that scratched at his throat. They really lived like this? How?

Hela took them down a wide street and up some stone stairs to a grand door, a man in an ugly hat bowing to her and opening the door.

"Miss Odinson."

"Thank you. A table for four, please."

"Of course, Miss."

There were so many mirrors in here, almost on every wall to the point that Loki had difficulty figuring out how large the room really was. It was beautiful, though. They had hanging lights, white tablecloths, beautiful bright cutlery.

But the moment he picked up his soup spoon, Loki felt strange. He managed to keep hold of it, just, but he felt so oddly weak... Like his energy was being drained.

"What is this made of?" he asked.

"It's fish," Thor said. "Fresh caught."

"No, the... The spoon."

"Steel from our factory" Hela said. "Unfortunately, they can't use silver. Too many thefts. Still, good for us that way."

Thor glanced at him, worried.

"You're not, er... feeling travel sick or anything?" he asked.

"No. No, I'm perfectly well."

There had to be some iron in it, watered down, not pure, but enough to affect him a little. Loki felt like he'd run the whole way here, hurriedly eating his meal without paying attention to the conversation and copying where everyone else left their cutlery. He'd recover quickly as long as he wasn't touching it.

"What's the plan, then?" Hela asked. "I mean, you're going to sweep back in, the return of the prodigal son, but then what?"

"The daughters are key," Thor said. "I'll focus on my fiancee and Loki will talk to Nebula. We'll gain their confidence."

"Good luck. Nebula in particular is very reserved. Devoutly religious. Practically a nun."

Loki wasn't sure what a nun was, but he carefully kept his face neutral.

"It's still worth a try," Thor said. "There are skeletons somewhere and I intend to discover them."

He was very attractive like this, all forthright and determined. Loki had gotten rather accustomed to sleeping next to him over the last few days. It was a shame they were going to be separated at night, really.

"I'm looking forward to meeting them," Loki said. "And your parents, of course."

"Well, they're extremely keen to meet one of Thor's old school friends. How did you like your time at the academy?"

"Oh, it was so long ago that I barely recall anything but the friends I made. The political situation at home became rather complex and it was necessary for me to return sooner than planned."

This was the story they'd rehearsed. Vague enough that no one should ask too many questions.

"It's funny," Hela said. "I don't recall Thor mentioning you before."

"Well," Thor said. "I wouldn't think you'd be interested. We've rekindled our friendship through letters since I left. You know I'm a social creature. I needed some kind of conversation. Who better to keep my secrets than a man far away on the continent?"

"And now I'm here to partake in all this intrigue," Loki said. "It's all terribly exciting."

Hela fixed him with a long stare.

"This is serious," she said. "I hope you deserve the trust Thor has put in you."

"I'll certainly endeavour to."

She didn't trust him. He didn't think she liked him, come to that. But she asked for the bill and for something called a cab to be summoned.

"We'll drop Brunnhilde off on the way," she said. "But there's really no sense in delaying any further."

"The sooner we start, the sooner this will be over," Thor agreed.

The parents.

Loki tried his best not to be nervous.


	48. Chapter 48

Dread had well and truly sunk into Thor's whole being. He'd sworn that he wouldn't come back here. These streets that had once been as familiar to him as his own hands no longer felt like home. He was practically a stranger here. The cottage was home, his little house and the field with the barrow at the end of it.

And seeing the way the colour had drained from Loki's cheeks just from touching some steel had terrified him. He seemed unharmed, but even an iron alloy was enough to affect him. Thor hadn't realised that. He'd thought only pure iron would have an effect. But that meant that so much out here was dangerous to him. They had to be so careful.

He'd certainly be avoiding any trips to the factory if he could possibly avoid it. It would be much, much too hazardous.

The townhouse loomed up at the end of their street like an enormous tombstone, the bricks that had once been a proud red turned black from years of smoke. The door he had gone through so many times and that he'd thought he had left for the final time all those months ago. And here he was, crawling back.

Not forever though. This was a means to an end, nothing more.

He saw his mother's face at the window as they pulled up. She'd been waiting for them. How long for?

She was already there when they entered the hall, rushing to him and taking both his hands in hers.

"Thor!" she said. "Oh, Thor."

"Hello, Mother. May I present my friend, Loki Laufeyson?"

Loki gave her a deferential bow, his princely skills on show. He was effortlessly believable as a rich nobleman.

"Welcome," she said, sounding distracted. "Come into the parlour. Have some tea."

This should have been less awkward. Thor found himself perched on the edge of a chaise with Loki beside him, sipping from tiny china cups. He'd grown so used to mugs that it felt like hardly anything. Little more than a thimble full.

And no one said anything for far too long. The air seemed heavy.

"How are you?" his mother asked, breaking the silence.

"Perfectly well," Thor said. "I was doing fine in the countryside. I have a nice cottage, which I intend to keep."

"Will you let it to tenants?"

"Perhaps," he lied. "It turns out that Mr Thanos owns all the surrounding land. It's quite a coincidence. I was very surprised when Hela told me in her letter. And then I wondered if it was perhaps a sign that I had made a mistake and I decided to return."

Was it plausible? He wasn't sure anyone would care either way. They were just glad he was here.

"Well, we're all delighted that you did," she said, proving his point. "And I'm sure Thanos will be very pleased to leave all the land to his daughter and her new husband."

"When will I see her? I mean, I barely know her. I should make a start."

"Your father wants to announce the engagement as soon as possible."

That wasn't an answer to what he'd asked, but no doubt he wanted to avoid any risk of Thor getting cold feet and running again.

"So tomorrow?"

"No. Tonight. A formal dinner for family - and Mr Laufeyson, of course."

Thor glanced at Hela, wondering why she hadn't told him that, but she just shrugged and shook her head. Either she hadn't known or she'd figured there was no point.

"In that case, I think I'd like to bathe first," he said. "I can't meet my future wife properly for the first time smelling of train smoke."

His mother's normally bright eyes seemed dulled as she looked at him. Evidently he wasn't managing to keep his voice neutral enough to pass.

"Please try not to be angry," she said softly. "It truly is for the best."

"For whom?"

"For all of us. For everyone."

Thor put down his teacup, taking a deep breath.

"Mother, I know that Thanos is a dangerous man," he said. "If we are in some kind of trouble, please, just tell me."

She glanced at Loki, sighing lightly.

"This is family business."

"I trust Loki completely. Anything you would say to me can be said in front of him."

And maybe Loki was smiling into his tea a little bit as he spoke.

"Discretion is my watchword, Mrs Odinson."

She flared her nostrils slightly, another sigh.

"Business means competition," she said. "That's understandable. And since Thanos acquired his factory some years ago, we have been in friendly competition with him. But since you left, he has been ruthlessly undercutting us at every turn. He must be running at a loss to achieve it, or he must have severely slashed his workers' wages. Or both. The truth is, we have lost a lot of very important contracts of late. We are, as you say, in some trouble."

Despite himself, Thor's heart ached.

"I didn't know," he said. "And you think it was revenge for the insult I caused him?"

"Your father does."

Mm. She wasn't committing herself either way, he noticed.

"So I marry Gamora and he'll back off?"

"The businesses will combine."

"Oh, so our workers will also face a cut in their pay?"

"Better that than having to close completely and putting them all out of work."

Hm. She was right. This was difficult. And yet, he couldn't help but feel that they were being bullied. And he didn't like that. Not at all.

Oh, it was all so dreadful.

"Right," he said, rolling his shoulders. "I might take a nap before my bath. May I be excused?"

A nod. He got the feeling that she knew how hard this was for him.

"We've put Mr Laufeyson's bags in the mauve room next to yours if he also feels he'd benefit from a rest."

"Thank you," Loki said. "That's extremely kind of you."

Thor scowled his way up the stairs wondering how in the world he was going to manage to pretend his way through the next few days...

His old room. It hadn't changed and somehow that was awful. He flopped down on the bed and sighed, taking off his trousers and drawing the curtains, making a slightly dimmed little bubble.

He wasn't exactly surprised when he felt an invisible weight settle next to him, but he was extremely grateful.


	49. Chapter 49

"Mm," Thor said, rolling onto his side and feeling for Loki, pulling him into a kiss. "You shouldn't be here. Not right now."

"Just for a moment," Loki murmured. "You're upset."

"Of course I am. I'm in a bind and I don't see how I'm going to get out of it and I'm scared and worried..."

"Exactly. So let me hold you for a moment or two."

They lay together, quiet and troubled.

"What happens if we don't have the answers before the day of your wedding?" Loki asked. "What if they rush you into it?"

Thor sighed.

"I can't let everyone in the factory end up on the streets," he said. "I won't let that happen. I can't."

"So you'll... go through with it?"

"I don't have much of a choice. But I... I don't have to consummate it. It could just be buying time and then afterwards we could have it annulled. And then we can all move on."

"Is it that easy?"

"I have absolutely no idea."

Hm. Well, it wasn't like he'd done this before. But there was another worry at the back of Loki's mind too.

"You don't have to not consummate for my sake," he said. "I won't mind."

"That wouldn't be why. I don't think I'll want to. And she probably won't want to either. And anyway you can only annul if it's unconsummated so even if I did want to, that would involve staying married, which I don't intend to do."

"Well, good. I don't want you getting all... soppy on me."

Thor chuckled. Loki wasn't sure why. It wasn't very funny.

"How did you get in here anyway?" he asked. "Mouse holes? I didn't know we had any."

"I have my ways," Loki said. "Pretty much all human buildings have holes in them just from settling or whatever. And besides, you have connected chimneys and fortunately those pretty iron grates are easy enough to avoid. It's not hard to scramble up a little way and come out in the room next door. I'll come and see you after dinner. I have a feeling we might both need a little relief."

From the way Thor sighed, it seemed he could do with some now, but Loki resisted that temptation. They needed to be fresh and alert before they met Thanos.

A quick kiss and Loki shrank himself down to make his way back to the guest room, hanging up his new clothes before taking a nap. This situation felt within his strengths. He was good at looking his best and impressing people.

And he really wanted his father's kidnapper - potential kidnapper - to be impressed if not intimidated.

For all he'd said he wouldn't use magic around other people, maybe he just lightly gave his hair a little extra shine, not that he really needed it. But part of his role was to target this sister. Best to look as handsome as possible, attractive and approachable.

Which was more than could be said for Thor, who emerged scrupulously clean but looking thoroughly miserable. Not exactly looking like someone a young woman might want to talk to. The outfit, though, a dark blue jacket that brought out his eyes and hair... Goodness, he scrubbed up well.

"The clothes suit you," Loki said.

"Mm. I feel like they don't fit me anymore."

"Just remember what we're doing here. And smile."

Of course, as they went downstairs, this also meant that Loki got his first look at Thor's father. The stern brow, the beard, one eye covered by a patch which had Loki's curiosity piquing immediately. It would be rude to ask too soon though. Get to know him a little bit first.

"Mr Laufeyson," he said, taking his hand for a firm shake. "Delighted to meet you."

"And you, sir."

Up close, he was visibly tired. Like his wife, he seemed to be weighed down by many worries. Financial and personal both, no doubt.

"Thank you for welcoming me into your home," Loki said while Thor fumed quietly next to him, his arms folded.

"Always delighted to welcome a friend of my son's. Please, come through. I believe you'd call this an aperitif on the continent."

Loki had no idea what that meant but he was lead back into the parlour and given a small drink, very strong, tingly on the tongue, sipping it gently. This was all very nice. Just a dinner in a family home.

All the same, there was an unmistakable degree of worry when a servant of some kind entered and announced the arrival of Mr Thanos and his daughters. Hela did not react at all, but everyone else in the room tensed. And Loki got his first look at his new enemy.

Thanos was tall and broad, bald with a square jaw. He wore a dark suit that looked like it had been built around him, carrying a silvered cane. A fashion item perhaps; he didn't seem to be leaning on it very much. Loki wasn't sure how, but he seemed to fill the space immediately, like he was somehow occupying all the air around himself.

"Odinson Junior," he said, approaching Thor immediately without so much as a nod to anyone else. "We finally meet in the flesh. It was quite a surprise to read your name on your letter."

"It was certainly a big coincidence," Thor said, absolutely no emotion in his voice.

They were making absolutely no effort to shake hands, Loki noticed.

"I don't believe in coincidence. I think it was a sign."

"Yes."

Oh, wow, Thor was really not good at hiding his feelings, his voice steady but disdain practically flowing off him. Someone needed to step in here.

"Loki Laufeyson," Loki said, holding out his hand. "An old friend of Thor's from school. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Odin's handshake had been firm, but Thanos's was something else. Loki did not have small hands, but he felt like he'd accidentally shrunk slightly, in danger of his bones being crushed.

"Please," Frigga said. "Come through to the dining room."

While Loki had intended to try to sit with the younger sister, he had changed his mind. For this first night, damage control was necessary. He placed himself between Thor and Thanos, the three of them occupying one side of the table with the three young ladies sitting opposite. At least from here, he could get a good look at them.

Thor and his fiancee seemed to be in much the same mood. Gamora had a tension around her jaw, carefully and systematically unfolding her napkin, and not lifting her eyes from her plate. Nebula meanwhile was eyeing Thor with open suspicion, like she was daring him to fall further in her estimation.

One of her eyes was a very dark brown, the other white and cloudy, the skin around it marked by scar tissue, shiny and pink. Loki might have expected her to wear her hair differently to hide it or to use powder perhaps, but she seemed to treat it more like a shield. Maybe, in some way, it protected her from certain kinds of attention.

Though if she was as secluded and sheltered as he'd heard, maybe that wasn't even on her mind.

Loki's eyes met Hela's where she was sitting directly across from him, a slight tilt of her head. He nodded subtly in recognition. At least some of them were keeping their cool.

Wine was poured over his shoulder, soup delivered neatly.

"Well," Odin said, clearing his throat and raising his glass. "To Thor and Gamora."

The halfhearted mumbling, the way Thor drank half his wine in one gulp...

This was going to be a long evening.


	50. Chapter 50

Thor knew his mother was doing her best, trying desperately to make conversation with Gamora and getting mainly one-word answers. Yes, she was well. Yes, it was getting a little chilly outside. It seemed he and his future bride shared an opinion on their planned marriage. Well, good. At least she wouldn't be disappointed when it didn't happen.

At another time, he might also have appreciated how well Loki was doing. He was very much at home in this formal environment, effortless, poised and polite.

As it was, though, Thor couldn't focus properly except to note insults.

"Eldest still unmarried, I see," Thanos said. "I'm surprised. It's not like she's nothing to look at, even if she is getting rather long in the tooth. How old are you now? Thirty-two?"

"Thirty-four," Hela said icily.

He tutted.

"There's no appreciation for the mature woman these days," he said. "You want to be careful not to end up an old maid though. It would be a dreadful waste."

"Well, I'm sure I'll get by."

Thor felt a surge of protectiveness. How dare he speak to her like that? How dare he comment on her so openly and judge her at her own table? He topped up his own wine, trying to keep his comments to himself.

"And you don't utilise your own products, then, Odin?" Thanos said.

"I'm sorry?"

"The silverware. Real silver. I'd have thought you'd use your own steel cutlery. Or aren't you proud of your factory's output? Too good for what you sell to the common people?"

"Of course, very proud," Odin said. "But where's the sense in replacing perfectly fine items which perform their function? And besides, this was a gift when my wife and I were married. One of the happiest days of my life."

That was aimed at him, Thor knew, spearing a piece of carrot.

"They're very fine," Loki said. "And I'm so glad to be able to finally meet you all in such charming surroundings. I would love to get to know Miss Gamora better, as my friend's future wife. I understand you've only met a handful of times?"

Fishing for information. And the look Gamora gave him, a steady, cool stare... She was calm but that calm seemed very brittle. Like she was in danger of snapping at any moment.

"I'm not sure I can recall any meetings, I'm afraid," she said.

"Don't talk nonsense, girl," Thanos said. "You met at the spring promenade. You said what a fine young gentleman he was as we left."

"I do not recall, Father. Are you sure I was not unwell that evening?"

"Certain."

"Then it must be so," Nebula said quietly.

Thor wasn't totally sure that he'd been at the spring promenade himself... That would have been last March? Had he even gone? He didn't always. It was rather formal and artificial for his tastes. He preferred a ball or a dance where you actually got to talk to people away from chaperones, just for a moment or two.

If he had been there, he hadn't noted Gamora's presence, but he wasn't going to say so. He had to calm down, stay in control. This was a means to an end, nothing more.

"Anyway," Thanos said. "We should set a date for the marriage. Next week, perhaps."

Thor dropped his fork just as Gamora choked into her wine, Hela carefully patting her on the back.

"With all due respect, sir," Thor said. "I would prefer to get to know my fiancee a little better first. Maybe over a stroll or a visit for tea."

"Yes," Gamora said. "I would like that too. And besides, there is so much to do. Dress fittings and the like. And the banns have to be read in church first. Don't they, Nebula? As is proper."

Nebula didn't say anything, but she nodded. She was religious, Thor thought. That kind of thing was important to her.

"Perhaps next month?" Frigga suggested. "Just to allow some time to prepare. A mid-autumn wedding can be really rather beautiful."

"Hm," Thanos said, counting his fingers across the table cloth. "An autumn marriage and a summer first-born. I suppose it makes sense."

Thor knew his knuckles were white against his cutlery, forcing himself to relax. It didn't matter. It wouldn't happen. They wouldn't have to worry about such things.

What kind of man was this who could talk about his own daughter that way? Like she was a breeding sow? Could he not see how uncomfortable she was?

But maybe that was a good sign. That suggested she might be an ally in their efforts to thwart the marriage plans and Thanos more generally.

"Miss Gamora," Thor said softly. "Might I invite you to take a walk in the arboretum tomorrow?"

She looked at him like he'd asked her to the lair of some terrible beast.

"I shall require a chaperone," she said.

"Of course. However you are most comfortable."

He wanted to talk to her at least partially alone.

Somehow, he made it through the rest of the meal and was spared the horror of having to take port with Thanos away from the ladies. Hela had seemed vaguely disappointed, perhaps annoyed that she wouldn't have time to talk to the sisters without their father present.

Still, when the front door was closed, they all slumped slightly, relieved to be rid of them.

"I'm going to bed," Thor said.

"Wait," his father said. "Let me explain."

"Not tonight. I'm likely to say things I might regret. Goodnight, everyone."

He managed to climb the stairs with some dignity at least, locking the door to his bedroom and taking a moment just to sit and let his anger simmer. He wanted to throw things, to yell and rage, but for what? It wouldn't help and he'd just have to clean up afterwards.

He got undressed instead. Sleep would help. Tomorrow might be better. Stranger things had happened.

He was still lying in the dark fuming when the blanket moved and warm flesh slipped into bed beside him.


End file.
